The Casa do Engenho is the result of an intervention on a building once intended to extend the life of the main house, hosting family celebrations and gatherings. Located within an agricultural estate in Vila Nova de Gaia — a territory of gentle slopes and maritime proximity — the construction forms part of a built complex dating back to the early 20th century, which also includes the main residence, cultivation areas, a threshing floor, wells, and several small ancillary buildings.

The object of this intervention corresponds to a two-storey volume, situated at the center of the property. The proposal is based on a complete transformation of the interior, while preserving the structural integrity and architectural expression of the exterior, whose reading was clarified through the reorganization of the façade’s metric and the introduction of new shutters, ensuring comfort and flexibility in the management of natural light.

Before the intervention, the building presented a rigid, compartmentalized, and impersonal layout, composed of a garage, a hall, and a kitchen — all independent and disconnected, which limited spatial experience in both functionality and daylight. The rehabilitation thus emerged as an opportunity to rethink the interior organization, replacing fragmentation with an integrated and welcoming spatiality.

PHOTOS BY Ivo Tavares Studio

PHOTOS BY Ivo Tavares Studio

PHOTOS BY Ivo Tavares Studio

PHOTOS BY Ivo Tavares Studio

PHOTOS BY Ivo Tavares Studio

Although physically connected to the main house, this volume acquires its own identity, asserting a more contemporary and contrasting language. The interior was conceived to modernize and revitalize the spaces, maximizing visual permeability and the natural light, particularly from the west.

The dwelling program is distributed across two floors, connected by a rehabilitated staircase that stands as a symbolic and sculptural element of the intervention. Its base is formed by stone steps, aligned with the flooring of the entrance hall, establishing a material continuity that anchors the space to its pre-existence. From this foundation, the staircase unfolds in wood, introducing lightness, warmth, and rhythm to the ascending path, leading from the most public areas of the house to its more private domains.

On the ground floor, the social areas are concentrated in a continuous space where the living room, dining room, and kitchen merge into a single environment. The fluidity between spaces is reinforced by material uniformity, particularly through the use of wood, which conveys unity and amplitude. The relationship between living and kitchen areas can be modulated by sliding wooden panels, allowing for different degrees of openness and privacy depending on the occasion. This floor also integrates a laundry, pantry, service bathroom, garage, and the main suite, which includes a walk-in closet, bathroom, and a spa area with direct access to the exterior.

The upper floor contains two suites and a spacious lounge, all with access to balconies. The pitched roof incorporates strategically positioned skylights, ensuring abundant natural light. It further extends beyond the perimeter of the house, creating a covered outdoor area that enhances open-air living while providing solar protection.

Following the intervention, the building assumes a new role within the estate, no longer a complementary space but now affirmed as the family’s main residence. The rehabilitation restores vitality and meaning, safeguarding the memory of the place. The materiality draws on natural elements capable of dialoguing with the pre-existence, while the interior spatiality privileges continuity, fluidity, and the relationship between interior and exterior, ensuring the permanence of family life in a renewed, luminous, and welcoming home.

Collaboration: Beatriz Ferreira, Joana Poças, Nelson Amado