House Natura / Watermill Reconstruction with Hemp

A historical refuge by the river Guimarães / Portugal / 2022

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Recovery of an old mill in the city where Portugal was born, Guimarães. According to the records found, it was a medieval mill, prior to 14th century. This was built in stone on the ground floor, on the upper floor, in 1928, was built a dwelling in “taipa de fasquio” a portuguese technique similar to “wattle and daub”.


Today it's a local accommodation on airbnb.


In order to preserve the memory and beauty of the age of this building, but also to give it a new life, the upper floor was reconstructed maintaining a compromise between old and contemporary, either in the construction techniques or in the architectural details. The aim was to maintain the characteristics that make this small building look like a dolls' house, the shape, the small openings and even the details of the staircase at the entrance.


But, it was also intended to bring a breath of fresh air into the building by applying and testing some natural building materials and traditional construction techniques. It can be said that it was or still is a kind of experimental laboratory, to evaluate the feasibility, durability and thermal and acoustic comfort of the materials. It was chosen to reinterpret the wooden structure of the house and to implement a bio-construction solution using hempcrete, a light concrete made of hemp/lime/cellulose fibers, taking advantage of the excellent thermal and acoustic comfort of this non-structural composite material that involves the wooden structure and is present in almost the entire house. Note that the only heating source is a small salamander stove for the cold winter days. 


The “wattle and daub” was also recreated in the interior walls, reinforced with jute and lime mortar with fibers from paper waste and traditional preservation techniques based on oils and natural wax were also used on the wood and slate stone.


The result was a refined but also simple interior space where one can rest and enjoy the soothing sound of surrounding water.


The construction was done in collaboration with Natura Matéria (https://naturamateria.pt/) who provide consultancy in natural construction.


(PT) House Natura / Moinho d’água – Reconstrução com cânhamo


Recuperação de antigo moinho na cidade onde nasceu Portugal, Guimarães. Segundo os registos encontrados, foi um moinho medieval, anterior ao século XIV. Este era construído em pedra no rés-do-chão, no piso superior, em 1928, foi construída uma habitação em taipa de fasquio.


Hoje é um alojamento local no airbnb.


No intuito de preservar a memória e beleza da idade deste edifício, mas também lhe dar uma nova vida, o piso superior foi reconstruído mantendo um compromisso entre o antigo e o contemporâneo, tanto nas técnicas de construção, como nos detalhes de arquitetura. Pretendia-se manter as características que fazem este pequeno edifício parecer uma casa de bonecas, a forma, as pequenas aberturas e até dos detalhes da escada principal.


Mas, também se pretendia trazer uma lufada de ar fresco ao edifício e testar alguns materiais de construção naturais e técnicas tradicionais de construção. Pode dizer-se que foi ou ainda está a ser espécie de laboratório experimental à escala real, para avaliar a exequibilidade, durabilidade e conforto térmico e acústico dos materiais. Optou-se por se reinterpretar a estrutura de madeira da casa e realizar uma bio-construção com betão leve de cânhamo/cal/fibras de celulose tirando proveito do excelente conforto térmico e acústico deste material compósito não estrutural que envolve a estrutura de madeira e está presente em quase toda a casa. Note-se que a única fonte de aquecimento é uma pequena salamandra a lenha para os dias frios de inverno. 


Também se recriou a taipa de fasquio nas paredes interiores, reforçando com juta e argamassa de cal e fibras oriundas de desperdícios de papel e foram usadas técnicas tradicionais de preservação à base de óleos e cera natural na madeira e na pedra de ardósia.


O resultado foi um espaço interior de requinte, mas também simples onde se pode descansar e desfrutar do som tranquilizante da água envolvente.


A construção foi feita em colaboração com a Natura Matéria (https://naturamateria.pt/) que presta consultoria em construção natural.

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    Recovery of an old mill in the city where Portugal was born, Guimarães. According to the records found, it was a medieval mill, prior to 14th century. This was built in stone on the ground floor, on the upper floor, in 1928, was built a dwelling in “taipa de fasquio” a portuguese technique similar to “wattle and daub”. Today it's a local accommodation on airbnb. In order to preserve the memory and beauty of the age of this building, but also to give it a new...

    Project details
    • Year 2022
    • Work started in 2021
    • Work finished in 2022
    • Main structure Wood
    • Status Completed works
    • Type Country houses/cottages / Interior Design / Recovery/Restoration of Historic Buildings / Building Recovery and Renewal
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