Pedrógão | House Isilda & Aires

On the 17th of June 2017, a major wildfire broke out in Pedrógão Grande, and spread through the forest to Figueiró dos Vinhos, Castanheira de Pêra, Sertã, Penela, Góis e Pampilhosa da Serra, affecting 500 houses (259 of which were primary residences). 64 people died trying to escape the fires.

Following the tragedy, citizens and institutions made donations to help the reconstruction of the houses and lives affected by the fires. The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, responsible for one of the largest funds, contracted a Cooperativa Trabalhar com os 99% crl. (Working with the 99%, Coop), to provide technical assistance in the process of reconstruction, in which Ateliermob produced the project of seven houses.

The house is reconstructed entirely on one level and with an important relationship with the exterior so as to meet the expectations of the residents, leading to the intrinsic reconstruction of the residency. The stone walls which subsisted the fire and the following winter’s rain were preserved, in the viewpoint of requalifying the strong signature of the houses in this part of the country, in this way maintaining the memory of the building.

The main entrance, recessed so as to create a covered area, is found on the facade which accompanies the access road to the residence, to which opens narrow gaps. On the opposite facade, ample apertures open onto the exterior space.

In the existing surrounding exterior area, designated for agriculture and the rearing of small animals, storage and a chicken pen are organised in a volume which establishes a relationship between the different levels of the site, articulating itself with a pool which harvests rainwater for irrigation or potential fire fighting.