In the Arruda Dos Vinhos, just north of Lisbon, a new project by (Umtodo) architects transforms a ruined watermill into a striking Portuguese house. Carefully shaped so as to exist completely within the footprint of the original structure, Casa da Azenha retains only fragments of the thick exterior wall and an internal retaining wall, which has been kept in order to delineate the shift between the three levels of the new house.
‘The project seeks to enhance both the existing fabric and its natural setting, reinforcing the dialogue between architecture and landscape,’ the architects say, explaining how all the original openings in the mill have been preserved and used as the basis for the internal plan, doors and windows of the new house.
One enters at road level, which was originally the upper floor of the mill building, which steps down towards the riverbed. This level houses the main reception room, which soars up into the void of the pitched roof around a central fireplace. From here, stairs lead up to the kitchen and dining area, alongside a guest bathroom. The dining area features a large frameless picture window with views across the valley.
An additional level sits directly beneath the kitchen and houses two bedrooms and second bathroom. The building is practically set into the hillside, giving these rooms a monastic, cell-like feel that is quite distinct from the light-filled upper floors. The new structures features rendered grey walls that stand in contrast to the honey stone of the ruins.
‘To emphasise the contrast between the permanence of the historic ruin and the new intervention, the inserted building is conceived as a single, monolithic volume which recalls the archetypal form of a pitched-roof house,’ the architects explain.
Ultimately, Casa da Azenha is about retaining the memory of place without compromising the demands of contemporary living. The studio, led by João Pedro Cavaco with Hélia Pereira and Rafael Jaleco, is based locally and specialises in refined residential projects with a calm, reflective relationship with the surrounding landscape.