丨葡萄牙丨stefano riva architetto

Architects:stefano riva architetto

Area:150m²

Year:2023

Photographs:Attilio Fiumarella

Manufacturers:Pereira Melo & Ribeiro Lda.

Lead Architect:Stefano Riva

Category:Residential Architecture,Houses

Coordination:Omar Sala

Project Team:Daniela Marques, Yasmine Tanouti, Aurora Mason, Francisco Riva

Client:Jeronimo Montenegro - Quinta do Torgal Barrô Resende

Collaborators:Omar Sala, Daniela Marques, Yasmine Tanouti, Aurora Mason Francisco Riva

Engineering Team:Jorge Gomes, JG- Projectos de Engenharia

Builder:Pereira Melo & Ribeiro Lda

City:Barrô

Country:Portugal

Text description provided by the architects. The project is located on a property in the Douro Barro region – Resende – an area known for its vineyard landscape.

The property includes several buildings that require intervention. The aim of the program was to restore one of these structures into a vacation home. During the survey, we identified a ruin: an old granite wall was the only thing that had survived the passage of time. Over the centuries, human intervention has transformed the landscape by erecting granite walls to create terraces and flat areas for vineyard cultivation, shaping a landscape of stunning beauty. Often, the architecture stands out as a discordant element in this magnificent setting.

The project revolves around a volume of concrete, an abstract element derived from the footprint of the old farm, and an underground construction. The interaction between the two structures creates new interstitial spaces and areas that explore the concept of interior – exterior, transforming the granite wall into an element that encloses a garden.

A granite rock that emerged during construction prompted us to modify the design and abandon the original idea of a partially underground architecture. The volumes were detached from the natural boundaries, creating more enclosed spaces. The pigmented pink concrete establishes a new relationship with the surroundings. The use of this color belongs to the chromatic tradition of many surrounding architectures, complementing the green of the vineyard.

The house spans two floors. Social spaces (including a kitchen and a living room) are located on the ground floor, while three bedrooms and a library are on the upper floor. In the spaces between the constructed volumes, trees and climbing plants will grow naturally, marking the rhythm of the seasons and modulating natural light.

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