castanheira-designed holiday house floats over endless 'quinta da faísca' vineyards

a traveler’s retreat in portugal

Overlooking the far-reaching vineyards of Alijó, Portugal, this Quinta da Faísca tourist accommodation is designed by Carlos Castanheira to host travelers through the sunny region. The new house is carefully sited within a small clearing beside the estate’s winery and surrounded on all sides by the endless rows of grapevines. Despite the small size of the plot, this site offers the advantage of its stunningly expansive views. As such, these sweeping views are celebrated and incorporated into the architecture.

images © Fernando Guerra | @fernandogguerra

carlos castanheira’s wine house on stilts

The Carlos Castanheira-designed Quinta da Faísca tourist accommodation, with its four guest suites, projects over the sloping plot toward its postcard surroundings. The structure is elevated atop a subtle array of metal supports and seems to float above the land. The architects poetically describe the spirit of the project and its relationship with the place: ‘We are suspended in the landscape, which has come in and has taken us out into the open. Almost a leap.’ The house takes shape with a timber structure, all topped by a zinc rooftop — the roof’s irregular four gables and its playful profile a defining feature of the project. 

an irregular rooftop for angular interiors

The architects led by Carlos Castanheira organize the Quinta da Faísca house with a versatile and reconfigurable layout. Thus, the four apartments might interconnect to create a variety of flexible configurations according to the needs of its guests. Inside, the living spaces open up with double-height ceilings, with the rooftops’ dramatic slopes expressed along the interiors to create unique ceiling conditions and complex spaces. 

Immediately surrounding the building is a grid of footpaths which cuts through a garden of slate rocks and native trees. These paths lead guests toward a terrace with distant views, a ten meter-long table, and a swimming pool — a warm oasis for groups and family gatherings. The architects continue: ‘The good wine and the rolling of the landscape remind us that the River Douro is flowing just down below and that it is the cause of this Leap into the Open.’

projecting over the stepping site, the house is supported by metal columns

a terrace is occupied by a ten meter-long table and a swimming pool

rotated windows reflect the rooftop’s slopes

the dramatic roof is expressed along the interiors with angular spaces

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ground floor plan

first floor plan

long sections

short sections

project info:

project title: Quinta da Faísca — Tourist Accommodation

architecture: Carlos Castanheira Architects | @carloscastanheiraarchitects

location: Alijó, Portugal

built area: 816 square meters

completion: 2022

photography: © Fernando Guerra | @fernandogguerra

project coordinator: Diana Vasconcelos, Luis Trigueiros Reis, Orlando Sousa
project team: Fernanda Sá, João Figueiredo, Inês Brito, Nuno Rodrigues, Inês Cabrita, Jorge Pinheiro, Joel Dinis, Diana Velho

structural engineering: Paulo Fidalgo, HDP – Construction and Engineering Projects, Lda.
hydraulic engineering: Pedro Nunes,Diâmetro & Cálculo – Construction and Engineering Projects, Lda.
electrical engineering: Luis Matos, Igemáci – Engineering, Lda.
fire safety: Fernandes da Silva, Xamix – Safety and Engineering, Lda.
acoustic: António Meireles – Logoacústica Engineering