The landscape of the Portuguese coastline is characterised by fishermen’s houses, built all along the beach. These vernacular structures emerged in the early 19th century, but now House Palheiro has been renovated as a contemporary reinterpretation of these classic fishermen’s houses. 

 Heritage and memory 

The architectural objective was to ensure the preservation of this regional heritage, as well as recover the collective memory of the community, by establishing a direct dialogue between the past, present and future. 

 Blending indoor and outdoor 

 The building is entirely made of concrete, using wood for the covers and exterior shutters. Access to the entrance level is via a ramp, raised from the ground. In the same way, platforms are also projected from the house, resulting in terraces that appear as an extension of the interior space. This is one of the particularities of the work. The use of large sliding windows, together with the exterior shutters, project out onto the terraces, and consequently protect them. 

Interior layout 

 The house is organised on two floors. The staircase is the central element that helps to define and organise the spaces. The ground floor is organised by the entire social area, the master bedroom and a bathroom. On the upper floor, there are a large resting area, a second bedroom, bathroom and storage. 

Project name: Palheiro. 

Architecture office: Pedro Henrique Arquiteto. 

Main architect: Pedro Henrique. 

Collaboration: João Silva, Filipe Almeida. 

Location: Esmoriz, Portugal. 

Total area: 160m². 

Interior design: Ana Guedes. 

Architectural photographer: Ivo Tavares Studio. 

Full acknowledgement and thanks go to www.ivotavares.net for the information in this editorial.