13th-century farmhouse renovated into a contemporary home in rural portugal

martins architecture office renovated a farmhouse initially conceived to host monks in the 13th century in felgueiras, portugal into a modern home. the house went from being the house of agricultural workers, to the residency of its ultimate owner who conducted a material refurbishment in the 90’s. it has been in the same family since the 19th century and is now turned into a contemporary home.

 images by ©NUDO

at the research phase, martins architecture office realized that parts of the house were transformed into a succession of habitable areas without a structured typology. the site still defines itself with patterns of wine production and agriculture in general. the proposal preserved all elements of historical or symbolic value that identify a traditional farm as traces of erudite construction seen in the carving of the stone or in the assembly of the wood.

the spaces of the house were maintained but reorganized, to provide a setting for contemporary living. the entire network of infrastructures is new and subtly integrated into the existing structure. the architects explored techniques and materials in wood, local stone, iron, and stucco as design principles with some exceptions. the interior is very minimal, with white as a dominating color emphasizing other design elements such as the red door or the marble chimney element.

project info:

name: zebros farmhouse

author site: martins architecture office

area: 660 sqm (7,104.18 sqft)

team: josé martins, marta machado, marta nogueira, miguel pereira, eva martins, joana moreira

location: felgueiras, portugal

photography: NUDO

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edited by: yasmina karam | designboom