The project is located in Quinta daEstrela which occupies a valley in Odemira, a landscape significantly altered over the last three decades. The slope surrounding the Quinta da Estrela house was removed to make way for a parking lot, isolating the building and causing structural issues due to the excavation.
The intervention and rehabilitation proposal adapts the pottery program to the building without altering the existing construction and creates an adjacent volume for the location of kilns and technical areas. The rehabilitated areas of the existing building include a store, a kitchen, a toilet, and the potter's workspace. The proposed expansion serves as a buttress to the damaged wall of the house. It is entirely made of handmade solid brick, aligning the new construction method with the craftsmanship of the potter.
The simple form of the expansion makes the brick and the clay the protagonist of this new construction, giving it an industrial character while linking the material to the earth as a memorial to the excavated hillside.
To enhance the building's relationship with its surroundings, the landscape next to the main entrance was redesigned, and two ramps were integrated to create a smoother connection between the building, the town, and Quinta da Estrela.
Team:
Architecture Office: ARDE Arquitetura+Design
Main Architect: Daniel Pinho
Builder: Virgílio de Sousa Leal
Inspection: Rui Graça e Vitor Afonso
Engineering: Paulo Ferreira
Landscape: Daniel Pinho
Light Design: Claudio Espirito Santo
Fluids Engineering : Paulo Ferreira
Thermal Engineering: Miguel Ferreira - certiterm
Visual identity: Daniel Pinho
Architectural photographer: Ivo Tavares Studio
Material Used:
1. Fábrica de tijolo rústico: Handcrafted Solid Brick
2. Maciça: Exterior openings in solid wood
3. Richimi: Microcement
4. Berker: Wall-mounted sound system
5. Globalpav: Pavidren and Pavistab
6. JNF: Hardware
