Architects from Atelier Data Studio have transformed the former mill into a minimalist country house with lots of patios and terraces. 

The Portuguese Atelier Data studio got a difficult project: they had to rebuild a small estate that included an old windmill, a barn and a miller’s house. Instead of building a new house, the authors decided to integrate elements of old buildings into the hybrid architecture of the villa. The white coloring of the facades, the laconism of the forms and the patio network that connected the individual buildings of the complex helped to achieve visual unity. 

Photo: Richard John Seymour

Photo: Richard John Seymour

An important new element was the one-storey wing, which housed the common areas of the house: kitchen, living room, dining room and terrace adjacent to the pool. With his help, the architects connected two two-storey volumes that rise above the villa like small towers. The courtyard between them serves as an additional outdoor space, but in each residential “tower” (one accommodates two bedrooms, the second — three) there are secluded patios and roof areas. The alternation of stairs, courtyards and terraces made it possible to create a building that is convenient even for a very large family. 

Photo: Richard John Seymour

Photo: Richard John Seymour

When designing the villa, the architects focused on the features of local traditional houses. This is how the white color, popular in the region, and Açoteia Algarvia appeared — platforms on roofs that serve to admire the surroundings. In order to provide the residents of the house with spectacular views even better, the authors used panoramic windows in the living room. The bedrooms, on the contrary, are reliably protected from the scorching sun. In one of the towers, the role of a barrier is played by a balcony wall with an arched opening at the corner: a cool room next to it has a good influx of diffused light and a beautifully «framed» view. Another half-arch window decorates the interior of a laconic bedroom in the second tower. 

Photo: Richard John Seymour