Red House in Setúbal, Portugal by ExtraStudio

In the oasis of a small village of Azeitao, south of Lisbon, is the captivating pink home, a small orchard of orange trees, and a new design philosophy that has seen this former winery built in the early 20th century, take on a remarkable transformation.

Lisbon based architecture practice, ExtraStudio, designed the two-storey home, resulting in creative and ingenious solutions for bridging the gap between indoor and outdoor living. Known for embracing complexity and diversity of design, as well as their perception of local values as the driving force, the orchard influenced ExtraStudio to maintain the winery’s original footprint and refurbish the walls of the existing structure instead.

Embracing the coherence of old and new, as well as a way of living in the South all while surrounded by a mild Mediterranean microclimate, it was necessary to keep the existing building. Focused on innovative and unseen solutions, only two incisions were made into the existing façade. A sophisticated 14-meter long window facing the orchard and a courtyard adjoining the neighbouring properties, allowing natural light to enter the house. You could say this part of the design was both meticulously planned and absolutely natural in its connection between to the site.

A sequence of strategically placed voids creates a grand ceiling dimension, reaching a 9-meter height, recalling the generous scale of the building’s former use as the winery. White polished floors in the dining room, kitchen and living room create a sense of openness with mirrored walls exaggerating the volume of the overall space, playing between reflection and reality. Every corner overlooks to a tranquil oasis of luscious greenery, architecturally framed into a backdrop.

Rather than starting anew, the design values called for celebrating all existing materials. Roof tiles were reused, while the stone was transformed into sills, and timber roof structure took on a new life in the form of an exterior deck.

The building ‘s presence is reinforced through a careful combination of old and new mortars developed by a local company working with millennial techniques and mixing pure lime with pozzolans – materials like powdered brick and heat-treated clay to protect against the weathering damage.

The practice studio adds that “a natural red pigment was added to the mortar, to reinforce the building’s presence, allowing the house to age gradually and changing its tonality, without ever requiring a coat of paint. Over the days and months, the colour of the house alters, lighter or darker depending on the humidity, almost black when it rains.”

Texturally rich, with patches of lighter and darker pigmentation, the importance of these mortars cannot be underrated. They petrify when exposed to oxygen in the air, slowly turning into stone, and adding an element of freshness and vibrancy.

Described by the architects as an ‘absolute void’, a dark reflecting pool reminiscent of an old irrigation tank is carefully considered in the rear of the garden, raised above the ground position. With the site’s changing conditions, the reflective surface is constantly mirroring the sky.

ExtraStudio has realized a successful and respectful reincarnation of a true Mediterranean beauty. While acknowledging the symbolic site, it remained true to its core values. The simple restraint and clever manipulation of scale and texture delivered a calm delight for homeowners to enjoy.