Lisbon, Portugal
Atelier DATA has converted a former horse stable into a summer house using traditional materials and local techniques, creating a playful environment with light and shadow.
The renovated summer retreat called “Casa Mãe -Mother House” was initially a rural structure used for agricultural activities.
The architects based their intervention on following the needs of the new functions recovering parts of the structure and making the appropriate additions.
Through rehabilitation and restoration as a way of reinterpreting the character of the manor house, its character is revealed by several actions: by successive exterior spaces and platforms leading to the entrance, by the simplicity of the façades and its rhythmically placed openings, by the continuous visual connection between elements of the house; the presence of large chimneys, and the high ceilings of the interiors.
Through the building of a new volumetric element that closes the southeast side of the building – with hidden elements, while at the same time allowing for new distribution and organization of the interior of the house.
The architects’ program delivers a spatial distribution that takes into consideration the magnitude of space and the wood structure which defines certain guide-lining principles: the kitchen and dining room become the core of the house and originating from this large center space the remaining rooms.
The social gathering character of this space is also reinforced by its interior volume and by the extension of the living and dining area towards the exterior with the incorporation of a pergola to the southwest, nurturing a relationship between the house and the surrounding landscape.
An important element of the transformation that includes traditional building techniques and materials is the use of clay and limestone, hydraulic mosaics, and wooden floors, used in the living rooms.
Additionally, on the southeast façade of the building, the designers used another technique, named cobogó which means hollow brick wall, creating a dynamic effect between light and shadow bringing life to the courtyards and adjoining inside spaces.
A more private area accommodates the two bedrooms as part of the new module organized around two patios, from which the bathrooms are located, furnishing each of the suites with a private outdoor space.
Project: Casa Mãe -Mother House
Architects: Atelier DATA
Project Leader: Filipe Rodrigues
Design Team: Filipe Rodrigues, Inês Vicente, Marta Frazão, Emmanuel Novo, Joana Melo, Francisco Libório, Filipa Neiva, and Rafael Gomes
Photographers: Richard John Seymour, Atelier Data
