The village house is located at the top of the slope, above the village of Paredes de Coura Due to its location, shape and size, the house is a prominent element that imposes itself on the village experience.
It was built for commercial use – Pharmacy. Elegant, large spans, decorated with stonework elements, such as jambs, lintels, among others. This house is different from the local architecture.
The location, the ornamental elements and the exterior proportions lead us to an image of a spatially refined house. It leads us to imagine spaces decorated with shapes and materials very much in the “Art Nouveau” style. This imaginary, this dream in which we travel as we pass in front of the house, is not reflected in the interior.

▼住宅外观，exterior of the village house ©Ivo Tavares Studio

▼外观上的拱顶元素，arch elements ©Ivo Tavares Studio

室内空间较为单调，布局割裂，面积较小，光线昏暗。建筑的核心区域是一个挑高的中央空间，南北贯通，但四周被四个较小的房间所包围（卧室、厨房、卫浴、储藏室），这些房间通过内部门相连，导致动线复杂，限制了中央空间的实际居住体验。阁楼层设有两间卧室及一个储藏空间，由一座夹在墙体之间、尺寸较小的楼梯连接。整个建筑的空间组织方式明显是出于实用性而逐步发展而成，缺乏系统的规划与设计逻辑。

▼改造前空间，space before renovation ©Tiago Castro Sousa Lda

The existing interior has monotonous, divided, small and gloomy spaces. It consists of a central space, with high ceilings, facing north and south, but surrounded by four other small spaces to the east and west (bedroom, kitchen, sanitary installation, storage). These are connected directly by interior doors, which multiplies the routes and consequently conditions the habitation of the admittedly central/main space.On the top floor, in the attics, two bedrooms and a storage space. The connection between them is made by a staircase, built between walls and of reduced size. It is clearly an organization that grew out of need.In these, without planning, without concepts, functionalist spaces, the protagonist is the man.

▼改造后楼梯，staircase after renovation ©Ivo Tavares Studio

▼拱顶成为空间的核心视觉要素，
the vaulted ceiling becomes the central visual element of the space ©Ivo Tavares Studio

▼楼梯细部，staircase detail ©Ivo Tavares Studio

挑战来自于业主——他们是文化、音乐及设计的鉴赏者，尤其热爱“新艺术（Art Nouveau）”及“工艺美术（Arts and Crafts）”风格。他们深知，这座建筑的居住体验并未能真正展现其建筑特质。因此，设计的目标是寻求空间与形式的和谐统一，将想象变为现实。新的设计方案采用方正、简约的平面布局，并在四个方向都设置了大尺度的开窗，使室内外空间充分交融。为了回应这一建筑的历史记忆，我们从最初的建筑形态中提取“拱”这一元素，并赋予其新的表现力，使其成为贯穿整个空间组织的核心语言。拱不仅是一种纯粹的优雅元素，更是贯穿艺术史的重要构造符号。

▼一层平面图，ground floor plan ©Tiago Castro Sousa Lda

Soon the challenge arose! The challenge came from the client, connoisseurs of culture, music and Design, especially lovers of “Art Nouveau” or “arts and Crafts”. Both understood that living in the house did not do justice to the object. The project sought to harmonize space and form. It was the challenge of making the imagination come true! Square, simple plan, with large openings on all sides. It sketches a design devoid of sensations. Thus, through natural light, shadow and arch we establish a set of concepts that are reflected in our emblematic imagery. The arch appears in the memory of the use and shapes of the first project. It is an element of pure elegance. Through form, the arch, an element used in history as an element of art, we organize the space and create a new habitation and new sensations.

▼客厅，living room ©Ivo Tavares Studio

▼客厅局部，living room ©Ivo Tavares Studio

入口层为一个整体空间，通过两个拱形框架进行空间划分，形成三个相互连通但功能不同的区域：厨房、客厅、餐厅。拱的引入不仅赋予空间层次感，也创造了一种形式与功能相结合的优雅共生关系。

The ground floor, entrance floor, consists of a single space, subdivided by two arcades. This gives rise to 3 spaces for different uses. These elements allowed a single space to provide three interconnected but diverse moments of living – Kitchen, Living Room and Dining Room. Clearly these refined elements create an elegant symbiosis between form and function.

▼走廊，corridor ©Ivo Tavares Studio

▼厨房，kitchen ©Ivo Tavares Studio

▼拱的引入，introduce the arch ©Ivo Tavares Studio

上层空间设有中央办公区、辅助空间、卫浴及储藏间。相比开放的公共区域，这里更偏向私密功能。北向的自然光柔和稳定，为办公及休憩空间提供宁静的氛围。半地下层则配备两间卧室、卫浴及洗衣房。这里作为居住区域，以静谧为主，北向的漫射光线带来宁静祥和的氛围，与整个空间的设计理念相呼应。

▼剖面，section ©Tiago Castro Sousa Lda

The upper floor consists of a central office, support room, sanitary installation and storage. On the lower floor, semi-buried, there are two bedrooms, a bathroom and a laundry room. On these floors, for private use, tranquillity reigns through natural northern light. A light, faint, constant, synonymous with serenity.

▼卧室，bedroom ©Ivo Tavares Studio

▼楼梯，staircase ©Ivo Tavares Studio

▼阁楼，attic ©Ivo Tavares Studio

楼层间的连接通过一座混凝土楼梯实现，楼梯表面覆以木材，使其成为既悬浮又富有装饰感的元素，完美契合拱形框架的节奏感。这座楼梯的起点和终点都嵌入在拱形结构之中，使得“拱”不仅仅是一个装饰元素，更成为组织空间的核心逻辑。拱不仅定义了室内空间的布局，还成为建筑外部的标志性元素，特别是在入口处的设计，使其成为具有纪念意义的空间装置。这一设计完美回应了业主在谈论“新艺术”风格时反复提及的梦想。

The connection between them is made by a concrete staircase covered in wood. It is a suspended and decorative element, which strictly matches the metrics imposed by the arches. It starts and arrives inside the arches. The arch became the main element of the house. It is the organizing element of the interior space as well as the exceptional element on the exterior (entrance marking). This responds to the dream of “Art Nouveau” so often spoken in the client’s speeches.

▼傍晚景象，at dusk ©Ivo Tavares Studio

▼半地下层平面，underground floor plan ©Tiago Castro Sousa Lda

▼二层平面，first floor plan ©Tiago Castro Sousa Lda

▼立面，elevation ©Tiago Castro Sousa Lda

▼剖面，section ©Tiago Castro Sousa Lda