In the heart of the Arrábida Natural Park stands a house built in the 1990s, among stone pine trees.

Located in a Mediterranean climate zone, the property is a mere 30 minutes from downtown Lisbon and just 10 minutes from the serene beaches of Portinho da Arrábida. The owners envisioned a tranquil retreat closely intertwined with the natural landscape, perfect for relaxation.

The project faced the challenge of interacting with a pre-existence of traditional aesthetic type and poor design.

The existing building was structurally weak, inefficiently laid out, and lacked spatial clarity: its poor design did not suit the clients' intended use, nor did it minimally engage with the context. It was a concrete structure, inflexible, making any truly transformative work a large and complex undertaking.

The approach was the opposite.

The strategy centered on three decisions. 

The existing east-west organisation was kept as well as the original configuration of the south-facing porch was restored.

Living spaces were oriented south and service areas to the north; the restored porch expanded with a water tank among the trees, to function as an outdoor room, swept by the breeze cooled by the water. 

The entire floor was adorned with terracotta tiles and new wooden windows with shutters were strategically designed and positioned.

The terracotta, nearby natural material, fired at low temperatures and it is known for its excellent tactile properties, acoustic absorption, and humidity regulation. The shutters enable the creation of a shaded and well-ventilated atmosphere during summer and facilitate thermal gains in winter when the closed glass is exposed.

The intervention is quiet and rigorous, delicate, simple, and economical, focused on achieving a pleasant and comfortable habitat in close relationship with the place.

Branco del Río Arquitectos prioritize economy.

The project embraced the house with its deficiencies and focused on enhancing its strengths and incorporating small operations that would improve the relationship with the outside and clarify the space. The first decision was to accept that the most valuable part of the project: the surrounding. From there, the focus shifted to seeking the minimum necessary materials.

Make the most of the existing. Spatially reorganise the interior with captures from the outside. The use of natural materials with excellent haptic qualities, comfortably mediating the skin-nature relationship.

Respect for the site, and precision in interventions are central to sustainable development, advocating that integrating existing structures with thoughtful interventions yields more compelling results than complete redevelopment.