pedro quintela uses local materials to breathe life into old rural dwelling in portugal

in the heart of the village of malveira da serra, at the base of serra de sintra, in portugal, architect pedro quintela has transformed an old rural residence into the ’embracing house’. found in ruins, the confined U-shaped house with the small patio used for agricultural purposes, aroused an intimate call within the designer, who decided to purchase the property and breathe life into it. 

all images by ricardo oliveira alves

since the old dwelling had been left as a ‘pile of stones’, the cleaning phase was crucial for the development of the whole project. pedro quintela, always present and following every step of his team of five workers, participated actively in this process, and at the same time he had the opportunity to get to know the building more intimately, unveiling all its nooks and crannies. in addition, he was able to discover artefacts of the past, reinterpreting them in his work and giving them a new life.

during the project, the architect made the decision to move right next to the site, in order to integrate and familiarize himself with the modus vivendi of the inhabitants of the village. in this way, only elements that respect and preserve the identity of the original construction have been used. the recovery of the ruin features local pine wood and granite from the sierra, but it was based mainly on the pre-existing materials. as if recreating a new ‘puzzle’, the architect resorted to the original materials of the house itself, reinterpreting them in a new, fresh manner. 

the project has taken over two years, starting with a team of five people, however, as the work became more detailed and challenging, quintela had to collaborate with just two workers. in this way, it became possible to establish a closer understanding and communication. following a holistic approach, the architect has formed a specific structure with identity, beauty, truth and value. the rejuvenation of the dwelling is the result of the designer’s view of architecture as a process of evolution (just like nature) interconnected in three phases: adaptation (immediate responses of the place); transformation (reflection) and crystallization (creation).

through this process, the new structure is an authentic piece of work, while still respecting ‘the spirit of place’. in the particular case of this intervention, it can be said that the once small, confused and very compartmentalised ‘house in the form of an embrace’, opened its arms to transform itself into a fluid, spacious, luminous and at the same time welcoming space. 

project info:

name: embracing house
architect: pedro quintela
location: malveira da serra, portugal

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