Projecto de transformação de um antigo sequeiro em habitação de turismo rural.

Abstract

This Master Degree Thesis was motivated by the opportunity to devellop a conversion project - an old building which used to storage and manage corn into a facility envisioned to receive Rural Space Tourism. From this proposition, a study and a theoretical/practical work were developed. It starts with a land in a small parish in Vale do Ave, Minho, with three remnants structures - the old corn managing building surrounded by two old corn containers. There's an a approach to the importance of these structures representative of the Corn Culture, essential to Minho's character and landscape, where Nature and country environment still keep a strong presence. After studying the building's typology - a sequeiro - and its meaning as a symbol of popular architecture in the North of the country, which started to be truly architecturally respected after the launch of Inquérito à Arquitectura em Portugal , it is stated the importance of preserving these buildings, or at least their shape, since nowadays their function has become out of context. The conditions requested in adapting to the new program - agricultural building to Rural Tourism facility - and adjusting the ancient shape to the new function were identified, and formal and constructive decisions that lead to the project's embodiment were stated. Textual and graphic material will complement to a better comprehension of this proposal that aims the construction of a new building that honors the preexistent but that is also representative of the moment when it was constructed. Aiming, as a final goal, to fulfill Peter Zumthor's words: " (...) O antigo e o novo encontram-se em equilíbrio. As partes novas da casa não parecem querer dizer: sou nova, mas antes: sou parte do novo todo."