Monte Do Divor

Written by Omar Dahabra

Location: Estremoz, Portugal
Year: 2024
Architects: Vasco Burnay Arquitectura
Photography by: Ivo Tavares Studio

The intervention is located outside the urban perimeter of Estremoz, thereby situated within a rural landscape characterized by small-scale, scattered buildings. Concerning the existing construction, it may be described as a typical house of the region: rectangular in plan, featuring a gabled roof along the longer axis of the plan, and punctuated by two large chimneys.

The intervention strategy is based on reading the pre-existing structure, both in its exterior presence and its interior characteristics. The low, elongated volume with a gabled roof, punctuated by the vertical assertion of the two chimneys, is fully preserved.

The proposal concentrates the alterations on interior partitioning, the adaptation of existing openings, and the careful creation of new openings for ventilation and lighting. The structure of the existing house evidences an organization in three spatial cores. This is denoted both by the imposing shared walls and by variations in ceiling color and form or in the materiality of the floors.

The proposal takes advantage of this prior sectorization, merely reorganizing the arrangement of functions. Thus, in the westward core, the private areas are resolved; in the eastward part, the large social area; and in the center, the functional program. The proposal also seeks to increase the interior-exterior permeability of the social zone by widening the largest existing opening and by introducing a new opening in the eastern gable, promoting a fluid passage and deeper penetration of light into this expansive interior space.

The two largest openings (to the north) ultimately constitute the only assertive gesture of contemporaneity upon the original object, attempting a harmonious integration into the composition of the elevations through their placement, scale, and materiality. Conversely, on the southern façade, the new opening follows the metric and (dis)order of the original windows, resulting from the “repositioning” of a previously existing opening.

The proposal connects the living experience of the house to the exterior through two wings that extend into the free outdoor space, linking—via a compacted earth path—the area for entrance/vehicle parking and the leisure area with a swimming pool.

We believe that the presented proposal is suitable for its built surroundings and that the proposed strategies ensure sensitive integration into the place. The urbanistic reality of the existing construction remains practically unchanged, advocating for the longevity of construction systems that witness an era of this region’s history. Every effort has been made to preserve the original object, not tearing it apart with technological infrastructure or contaminating it with next-generation materials. Text description by the architects.

​Source: www.vascoburnay.pt
Interior Design: Claudia Monchique
Total area: 200m²

Omar Dahabra
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