Portugal’s [i]da arquitectosdesigned an extension to the sublime Monte Novo da Cruz development as a rural tourist destination. Although they were focused on recovering and expanding the existing building, they also wanted to ensure a smooth transition between it and the new structure, while also creating harmony with the natural landscape.

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The architects’ intervention consists ofrecovering and expanding the existing building by introducing a composition of successive spaces that end up with a double-height common lounge area with a central fireplace. The main entrance and supporting spaces interlaced with small garden courtyards for natural lighting and ventilation are located on the north-west side of the site, while the main spaces overlooking the garden and pool are located on the south-east side.

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The new building adapts to the topography of the site and uses the slope to differentiate between the owners’ house and the guest house. This long, half-buried volume is perpendicular to the line of the trees and preserves the scale of the original house. Its unique façadeis characterized both by a wide opening framing vistas of the landscape as well as by a stand-alone pergola reducing the amount of direct sunlight coming inside the rooms and providing privacy for guests.

+ [i]da arquitectos