Casa do Medio
The main body of the rehabilitated set consisted of a traditional building within sidewalls which included a decontextualized addition superimposed on the rear wall and facing an stone-paved inner courtyard. A shed roof marquise-like ancillary building was attached to one of the lateral walls of the courtyard.
The program was adjusted to the existing volume of the main building. Thus, the vertical structural system of bearing walls was kept, whereas the rest of the structure was reconstructed in wood. The volume of the rear wall addition was recovered by means of wooden lattice walls conformed in the traditional way, that is, by using upright posts and sleeper beams resting on the supporting floor slabs.
The new staircase occupies the position of the existing one and becomes lighter as it climbs up the stairwell. The stairwell was enlarged to allow the spread of the above light to all the floors. The construction of each staircase section, from the harder to the lightest elements, the latter hanging from the roof structure, is related to the different nature of each floor. This stratification has its counterpart in the new element adjoining the rear facade through which the relationship with the garden occurs: covered outdoor space, gallery and terrace.
The marquise was recovered by reusing the existing granite pillars and by reconstructing a roof cover based on the original structure.
A garden leaning along the wall traces and inspired in the existing parterres was designed for the inner courtyard.
