Composite decking · Setúbal, Portugal · 2025
At this residential development in Barreiro, Setúbal, the rooftop terraces presented a major technical challenge: deep service voids with significant level changes and pipework that had to remain accessible, making concrete infill impossible.
Nooba is a large-scale residential development in Barreiro, on the south bank of the Tagus, developed by Solid Sentinel and designed by Saraiva+Associados. With 197 apartments, it is one of the largest residential projects in the Greater Lisbon area. The buildings include rooftop terraces with swimming pools, a 100-metre panoramic running track overlooking the Tagus, a 230 m² relaxation area and a 430 m² garden.
On the rooftop terraces around the swimming pools, the construction conditions ruled out a conventional installation:
The slab included deep voids with pronounced variations in level, crossed by an extensive network of pipes. Filling these areas with concrete was not an option: the additional weight would have been excessive and future maintenance access to the pipework would have been compromised.
The areas around the swimming pool and running track required highly accurate cuts and adjustments to follow the curved geometry of the space.
CDECK® was not part of the original specification. Another brand had initially been specified, but the balance between price, material quality and the ability to meet the project's technical complexity led to CDECK® being selected instead.
CDECK® composite decking was therefore chosen for these areas: a slip-resistant, chlorine-resistant surface that is comfortable under bare feet, with the bespoke finishing required for a project of this scale.
The solution for the service voids used a substructure supported on concrete pedestals, with aluminium profiles and supports creating a level surface above the voids while keeping the pipework accessible for future maintenance. The Quick-Fix® system ensures this access remains available at all times: individual boards can be removed one by one without dismantling the rest of the decking.
The result is 459 m² of composite decking across Nooba's rooftop terraces, with a raised structure above the service voids and curved finishes following the lines of the swimming pool and running track. A practical, accessible solution with the level of visual precision expected from a landmark residential project in the Lisbon metropolitan area, backed by a warranty of up to 25 years.
