House on Barca Nova
- Renovation & Repurpose, House, Project & Construction
- Ceivães, Monção, 1999/2002
- Photography: JMF
The house in Barca Nova was originally an old, dilapidated Fiscal Guard post, alienated by the State. The project converted it into a bright, flexible, and comfortable residence.
The location and its circumstances
The property is located in a privileged area, within an ecological reserve, with a visual domain over an extensive stretch of the Minho River and the adjacent Galician landscape. It included the building of the post and an annexed courtyard.
The location was classified as a National Ecological Zone. Consequently, it was legally imperative to maintain the existing building's implantation perimeter. However, it was possible to raise the ridge height. As a result, an additional floor was added, which was necessary for the house to accommodate a T3 program. The old Fiscal Guard post was 15m long by 5m wide. This was the implantation polygon under which the design of the residence had to be worked on.
The North facade provides a charming horizon over the bed of the Minho River and Galicia, but without sunlight. The South facade has excellent solar exposure, but the landscape does not have the attributes of the opposite facade.
The project
The narrow width of each floor's polygon determined the structure of the house's interior space organization.
All living compartments have one facade facing the river and another facing the sun (to the South).
The scarcity of available area led to the idea that daytime spaces (kitchen and living rooms) would also serve as circulation spaces between other compartments. As a result of its adoption, the area usually allocated to vestibules and corridors was saved, benefiting the living rooms and bedrooms.
The bathrooms are juxtaposed to the bedrooms and interposed between them and the daytime living spaces.
Thus, a simple "game" of doors allows them to be used privately by the adjacent bedroom at night, and commonly during the day.
Direct access from the ground floor compartments to the outdoor space was prioritized in the Casa na Barca Nova.
It was decided to visually differentiate the newly built floor, emphasizing its appearance as an addition. We clad it with wood in a "shirt and skirt" style, as seen in some cases of annex constructions or floor extensions in existing buildings, in local vernacular architecture.
The courtyard was converted into a countryside garden.
The location and its circumstances
The property is located in a privileged area, within an ecological reserve, with a visual domain over an extensive stretch of the Minho River and the adjacent Galician landscape. It included the building of the post and an annexed courtyard.
The location was classified as a National Ecological Zone. Consequently, it was legally imperative to maintain the existing building's implantation perimeter. However, it was possible to raise the ridge height. As a result, an additional floor was added, which was necessary for the house to accommodate a T3 program. The old Fiscal Guard post was 15m long by 5m wide. This was the implantation polygon under which the design of the residence had to be worked on.
The North facade provides a charming horizon over the bed of the Minho River and Galicia, but without sunlight. The South facade has excellent solar exposure, but the landscape does not have the attributes of the opposite facade.
The project
The narrow width of each floor's polygon determined the structure of the house's interior space organization.
All living compartments have one facade facing the river and another facing the sun (to the South).
The scarcity of available area led to the idea that daytime spaces (kitchen and living rooms) would also serve as circulation spaces between other compartments. As a result of its adoption, the area usually allocated to vestibules and corridors was saved, benefiting the living rooms and bedrooms.
The bathrooms are juxtaposed to the bedrooms and interposed between them and the daytime living spaces.
Thus, a simple "game" of doors allows them to be used privately by the adjacent bedroom at night, and commonly during the day.
Direct access from the ground floor compartments to the outdoor space was prioritized in the Casa na Barca Nova.
It was decided to visually differentiate the newly built floor, emphasizing its appearance as an addition. We clad it with wood in a "shirt and skirt" style, as seen in some cases of annex constructions or floor extensions in existing buildings, in local vernacular architecture.
The courtyard was converted into a countryside garden.