However, an intervention of this depth is also an opportunity to breathe new life into a building that deserves to be dignified. Seeking a certain modernity through the use of recurring elements of the so-called “soft Portuguese style” reflects our constant search for a very unique language, a gesture capable of giving this house a singular identity.
We believe this house is a kind of Pandora’s box. It reveals itself as we walk through it, with very simple and delicate moments contrasting with spaces that surprise us by how they relate to us, inviting us to stay. On the main façade, the most characteristic existing elements are retained, revealing little about the new intervention.
The side elevation reflects a transition between the original proportions of the house—on the main façade—and the new rear façade, with the side elevation serving as the moment where both languages merge. At the rear, the intervention reveals itself clearly and without timidity. The original façade is widely opened up, giving way to a large glazed section that allows the entire house to open up to the exterior. We sought not only to provide more usable space to the main social area of the house but also to allow it to extend outward.
The arch is an element that fascinates us and is very present in the architecture of the soft Portuguese style, whose name reflects an intention to seek a balance between traditional and modern architecture. This balance is also something we sought intensely in this project. The proposed addition at the rear, through the introduction of semi-arches, allowed us to create a covered outdoor area and an upper terrace, embracing the existing lemon tree, which we were committed to preserving.
