Redesenhar a memória - Intervir no património vernacular da Fajã das Almas

Abstract

The popular architecture is the reflection upon each place and its identity, through a built evidence, which is shown by a set of circumstances, intimately linked to the daily life of their populations. Adapted to this type of peculiarities, the rural agglomerate is formed by house buildings, which present a strong language and a constructive coherence, transmitting it's own authenticity. Placing the theme of house building rehabilitation with its own popular character, both architects and engineers, builders and owners ask infinite questions: To restore? To substitute? To preserve trying to improve its performance? Or to re-draw? Which are the consequences for each one of these options? In the pursuance of these doubts and in the sequence of imbalanced interventions already existing allover it is necessary to look for possible solutions for these problems, paying attention to respecting character and the popular architecture in question. This project focuses the building estate of Fajã das Almas, essentially on the housing models that are currently developed there. Hence, several case studies are defined: the plain ground-level house, the plain wooden-floor house, the split-level house and the L-shaped house. This may be distinguished one from another according to the way each settles on the ground and how they relate with the surrounding environment. After analysing several models of popular architecture in the built housing estate, it was possible to draw a conclusion: its conservation and preservation is at risk. Consequently, in order to propose a methodology for its preservation, it became imperative to consider some key factors concerning an intervention in the vernacular housing heritage in Fajã das Almas. Possible methodologies, construction solutions and rehabilitation options are presented, that result from a demanding analysis and from a number of study cases analysed to substantiate the strategies intervention. Although including possible methodologies, construction solutions and intervention options in the rehabilitation proposal, this work does not attempt to establish a mandatory factor or rule. On the contrary, one intends to create a good basis practices for future interventions in the built house estate.