Fábio Ferreira Neves
Pátio do Meco
best architects 20
single family homes
Place
Portugal
Studio
Photos
Nelson Garrido
Description
The project for single family housing in the historical centre of Aldeia do Meco, Portugal, involved retaining the original identity and appearance of the main house and its patio which had for many years adhered to the vernacular common scale. The boundary of the plot is defined by the new house and the extension, composed of minimal and abstract volumes which are separated according to privacy needs. In the main building are the social areas and along the perimeter of the enclosure, the private and technical ones. Typical Mediterranean elements like the well and the shading reeds gain prominence within the patio, which is oriented towards the south. The urban morphology is respected while the new constructions are located where old ones were, anchoring the site to the surroundings in a unique line, open only towards the north onto the main street. The project recreates the past in order to regenerate the present.