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Minimal White Stucco Sculpts Blue Skies in Portugal

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Here is a cheerfully minimal house in Santa Barbara-de-Nexe, Faro, Portugal, from Pedro Domingos Arquitectos, that celebrates the joy of living.

Its bold proportions assimilate the old and new with easygoing, joyous shapes.

The house is partly a renovation of a traditional villa in the regional vernacular, set in an overgrown forested hillside.

All in bright white against the blue skies of the Algarve region of Portugal, the proportions of the new and old spaces are pleasing, and they are perfectly sized to catch and bounce the sun.

The deep reddish wood and the bright white – even on the outdoor floor – is a celebration of the relaxed good living you want in a holiday home.

The low-ceilinged original building in the traditional vernacular architecture of the Algarve has been renovated to become the bedrooms for the new home.

By contrast with the cramped ceilings of the old buildings, the new public spaces are exuberantly soaring and light filled.

A new skyway walk on the roof is one of the amusing twists that the house is able to take – with fun and surprising proportions – because it is partly set into the steep hillside.

The rooftop walkway is reached up an old stair from the original structure.

As with the old stairway, the architect was careful not to disturb an ancient tree growing amid the new buildings.

To cope with the stifling heat, an outdoor shutter can close off and cool the interior for a peaceful siesta in the hottest part of the day. It is an update of the traditional wooden shutters on the outside of buildings.

Thick whitewashed walls also borrow their natural cooling properties from the traditional architecture of the region. A successful melding of old and new.