Casas do Lameiro

The proposal is grounded in a principle of critical continuity.

It gives form to the Botto Machado family's intention to repurpose the former garages, located on what was once the water meadow of the family estate, into two Rural Tourism units.

Designed by the architect and urban planner Pedro Botto Machado Falcão e Cunha (1922–1982), the building emerged as an act of spontaneous architecture: without drawings, without structural calculations, guided solely by intuition and sensibility. Despite this apparent informality, the garages are organised according to a clear system: seven bays defined by stone pillars, establishing a precise structural and spatial rhythm.

The 2017 wildfires introduced a significant rupture, reducing the structure to its essential elements. Through the rehabilitation process carried out at the time, what remained were the granite pillars and a horse chestnut tree, whose enduring presence now plays a defining role in shaping the site.

The proposal develops from these surviving elements, preserving and amplifying the structural and spatial matrix defined by the pillars, while reaching towards the horse chestnut tree in an embracing gesture. These two elements guide the spatial organisation of the project, establishing relationships of proximity and framing, and articulating a sequence of interconnected interior and exterior spaces

The structural strategy is closely tied to the architectural space, seeking responses that address the existing constraints and the nature of the programme, while achieving spatial density through a minimal number of elements.

The original pillars are reinforced through a wrapping intervention that enhances their structural capacity, supporting a timber structure that defines the character of both interior and exterior spaces. The clarity of these structural choices allows the building to express a distinct formal quality, one in which materials are employed according to constructive necessity and articulated through a simple, coherent architectural language.

The project defines a strategy for re-inhabiting the water meadow through a Rural Tourism programme integrated within a broader framework of agricultural use. It mediates the relationship between the new units, the main house, and the surrounding landscape, particularly the Serra da Estrela.

At water meadow level, a stone platform hosts outdoor dining, a raised bathing tank, and a small sun deck. The water meadow remains largely open for grazing and cultivation.

A clearing provides informal space for gathering, and a new orchard of native apple trees softens the site's edge. Over time, the water meadow evolves as a productive landscape, with elderflower and elderberry cultivated for family and guest use.

A pedestrian path follows the stream, connecting the principal architectural and agricultural elements of the site.