Rates House / ATELIERDACOSTA

Architects: ATELIERDACOSTA
Area: 320 m² (3,445 ft²)
Year: 2021
Photography: Tiago Casanova
Lead Architects: Hugo Barros, Pedro Matos
Construction: Silfermat
City: Póvoa de Varzim
Country: Portugal

Rates House, a residential project designed by Tiago Casanova in Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal adapts to a unique plot with significant elevation differences. The design integrates existing schist stone volumes and introduces a concrete structure to create a cohesive living space. The project blends preservation and modern design elements, inspired by the Cordoba Mosque and Cathedral, and features four distinct patios oriented towards street and field views.

The plot, long yet wide, faces the street on the low level and a large field on the high level. This height difference creates distinct zones, almost forming two separate worlds within the same plot. The existing schist house features a Romanesque church capital on its facade, leading to an initial debate with local authorities about its preservation due to the house’s ruinous state and plans to more than double its size.

From the two pre-existing schist stone volumes, the one facing the street was designated for rooms, while the other was left as an exterior patio. The proposal aims to belt and consolidate the existing structures by building a new concrete “coffer” inside and around them, creating a transition from the well-consolidated street to the isolated northern fields. This preservation strategy is inspired by the lasting example of the Cordoba Mosque and Cathedral, with necessary adaptations.

The concrete walls and slabs are designed to fit the existing houses and establish a new organizing axis defining the entrance space and technical area for storage and car porches. Within these constraints, the design creates a system of four demure patios, some open to the outside landscapes. Two patios belong to the street quadrant, and the other two to the fields.

Despite the absence of a specific client request, which is usually central to the design process, there was an almost unanimous agreement throughout the project. The main discussion and negotiation focused on the combination of ceramics.

The project successfully blends the existing schist structures with new concrete elements, creating a harmonious transition between the street and the fields while preserving historical features and providing modern living spaces.