CASA DE SOUVINHA
Along the Romanesque route, in Basto's verdant lands, the long granite wall traced the street down to the church square. Of the house across from it, watched over by the centuries-old walnut tree, only the ruin of the stone walls remained, along with the memory of the wine press.
The past was etched into the atmosphere, waiting to reclaim its time. Living in harmony with its surroundings meant preserving what already existed — yet the house was not enough to hold the whole family, and the scale of the land called for the house to grow alongside the landscape.
Around the walnut tree, a new concrete volume then embraced the courtyard, taking root in the land. Between the seams left by the formwork in the walls, narrow openings guided the light and the views, shaping the interior.
At the entrance, the half-light calls for leaving the outside world behind before stepping in. With doors open, the spaces gradually reveal themselves behind the glazed frames, the bookshelf, and the fireplace. Shadow gives shape to the space, guiding the way one moves through it.
The warmth of the space invites one to sit by the fire, in rest and in contemplation of the landscape beyond, and to celebrate gathering around the vast table. Between the old volume and the new, the transparency of the planes dissolves the mass, marking the pause between them. At the far end of the house, the sunken kitchen is wrapped in that same lightness, closing the construction. On the other side, within the thick walls, the bedrooms are sheltered, preparing their sense of warmth. Outside, a separate shelter breaks away from the ensemble, extending the home to friends who wish to stay.
Among and around the volumes, the open space is steeped in the history and spirit of its surroundings, as well as in the life of the house that occupies it. And in every corner, the presence of the scents and shadows of the vegetation that encircles and permeates it serves as a reminder of why one lives here.
