The very long but wide form of the pre-existing house faces the street from the lowest level, while on the opposite side of the lot, a large field is presented at a raised level. This difference in heights almost creates two separate worlds in the same plot. The existing part of the Rates House is made of shale stone and has ancient elements in the façade dating back to the Romanesque period that are intended to be preserved and enhanced by the renovation despite the new plans for alteration and expansion
Four patios for the recovered and expanded Rates House: oases of intimacy which overlook the street and garden
In São Pedro de Rates, Portugal, an existing stone house in dilapidated condition but with historically valuable elements is transformed into the Rates House, doubling its size and offering the developer a valuable home
From the two pre-existing volumes of shale stone, ATELIER DACOSTA, commissioned for the project, decided to occupy the one facing the street with indoor rooms, while the one facing the land at the back "unemployed" it with an outdoor patio. The Atelier's proposal aims to encircle and consolidate the pre-existing by building a new concrete "formwork" in and around it. This "preservation" strategy has similarities with the super-efficient and durable examples of the Mosque and Cathedral in Cordoba
The concrete walls and slabs were designed both to fit the layout of the existing houses and a new organizational axis that defines the entrance space and the more technical area for car shelter . Between these two main volumes and the parking space, the design intended to create a system of four intimate patios, more or less open to the outdoor landscapes. Two of them belong to the street quadrant and the other two belong to the fields
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