Symbiosis between pre-existence and landscape. Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing
21/11/2022.
[Arouca] Portugal
metalocus, DILYANA DRAGOEVA
metalocus, DILYANA DRAGOEVA
Located in Arouca, Portugal, the pre-existence of a granary and the natural context itself provides an opportunity for the architects Marta Brandão and Mimahousing to create a unique and special project that serves as temporary accommodation.
The process is defined by the composition of materials and colours that articulate the entire architecture, both interior and exterior. This respect for the pre-established visual lexicon to create a coherent whole becomes a fundamental premise.
The process is defined by the composition of materials and colours that articulate the entire architecture, both interior and exterior. This respect for the pre-established visual lexicon to create a coherent whole becomes a fundamental premise.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Ground floor plan. Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing.
Upper floor plan. Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing.
Elevation plan. Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing.
Elevation plan. Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing.
Elevation plan. Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing.
Perspective section. Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing.
Sections. Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing.
Section. Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing.
Detail section. Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing.
Stairs detail. Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing.
The project by Marta Brandão and Mimahousing is understood as a minimalist and rustic reinterpretation of the traditional granary. The slenderness of the whole, the prominence of the slate roof, and the use of dark wood create a contrast with the surrounding environment.
The result of this symbiosis is the perfect refuge from daily life, where one can enjoy pure visual delight and nature in fully built comfort.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
The result of this symbiosis is the perfect refuge from daily life, where one can enjoy pure visual delight and nature in fully built comfort.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
Description of project by Marta Brandão and Mimahousing
Imagine falling asleep to the sound of a rushing river and waking up with the chirping of birds and sights of an opulent green landscape. The architecture could become secondary, had it not been so thoroughly designed.
Located in Arouca, Portugal, the Granary House - available for short rentals, was a labour of love and was the result of a rare opportunity to realise an absolutely special and unique project.
The opportunity arose from the combination of two factors.- the pre-existence of a granary (a traditional building of the region with slender proportions and a high potential for reinterpretation) and the geographical/natural context.- a sumptuous green terrain overlooking a river, which becomes the perfect setting to host and enhance a unique architectural object.
Drawing inspiration from exceptional houses designed by masters such as Peter Zumthor, Studio Mumbai, Herzog&deMeuron or Vincent van Duysen, the Granary House aimed to achieve the fundamental characteristics that define the quality of these reference projects: the poetry and coherence of the design on all fronts.
The process started with the definition of a concept, a language. This was followed by the composition of the palette of materials and colours that would articulate the whole architecture, exterior and interior. Thus, from the design of the house in its exterior envelope and surroundings to the interiors, the finishings, the choice of furniture, textiles and the smallest objects, this respect for the pre-established visual lexicon to create a coherent whole became a fundamental premise.
Granary House by Marta Brandão & Mimahousing. Photograph by José Campos.
The house's strengths are evident. The protagonist is the slate roof, typical of the region, made with the reuse of aged slate extracted from local ruins. Only in this place would it make sense to build such a roof. Then, the slenderness of the volume and the slatted dark wood - a simultaneously minimalist and rustic reinterpretation of the traditional granary - in contrast to the cliff resulting from the cut of the land to the north. The facade cladding in a delicate darkened wood slat, and above all its subdivision into sliding wooden shutters to the south, transform the facade into a living and changing element. The house can sometimes have the austerity of a monolith, sometimes a changing face of a dynamic nature, enhancing different experiences inside. From the outside, whatever the positioning of the shutters, the composition is balanced and interesting.
Inside, the house invites you to linger. The abundance of natural wood and its permanent dialogue with the mineral beige-earth of the microcement (reminiscent of the color of the stone in the back) create an atmosphere of warmth and cosiness that intensifies when the fireplace is on. Black metal details add a crispy touch of sophistication. The meticulously designed spiral staircase becomes a sculptural element in the living room. On the upper floor, the sloping ceiling of the master bedroom, with its wooden structure and generous ceiling height, conveys grandeur. Throughout the bedroom runs a narrow balcony that culminates in the outdoor terrace where there are sofas integrated into the structure and a small swimming pool elevated over the fraga.
The sumptuous green panorama becomes the perfect backdrop for contemplation, while the sun peeks through the wooden slats, generating poetic games of light throughout the house, favoring a permanent dialogue between the outside and the inside. The house punctuates the landscape and generates a new landscape. The result of this symbiosis is the perfect refuge from the hustle and bustle of daily life, where you can enjoy nature in full built comfort and pure visual delight.
More information
Architects
Collaborators
João Pereira, Miguel Menezes, Maria João Santana.
Client
Builder / Developer
Castelo Soberano.
Area
110,60 m².
Dates
2022.
Location
Arouca, Portugal.
Photography
Mário Sousa - Marta Brandão. MIMA
MIMA. Architecture firm founded by Mário Sousa in 2011.
Mário Sousa. Partner, Architect, Creative Director, New Products. Mário is an architect. He has studied in Porto at FAULP. In September 2007, he has joined Richter & Dahl Rocha office and collaborates with them in Lausanne since then. At the beginning of 2011, Mário founded MIMA, together with Miguel and Marta, and dove into an investigation on housing schemes and prefab construction methods started already in 2007. At MIMA Lab, Mário is a creative brain and systematically comes up with ideas for new products and works hard on the design development of the established ones.
Marta Brandão. Partner, Architect, Art Director, Design, PR. Marta is an architect. She has studied in Porto at FAUP and in Lausanne at the EPFL. Between 2008 and 2012, Marta worked as a collaborator of Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron in Basel, Switzerland. She has been involved in several large-scale projects of housing and cultural buildings. Marta is currently a doctoral assistant at the EPFL Lausanne and she's a researcher in the Complex Design program. At MIMA Lab, Marta is responsible for the design and development of new projects, overall graphic design of the firm, PR, communication, and written information.
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