Guard's House and Garage at Quinta da Ponte
This small building will replace an auxiliary structure of the estate that has collapsed irreparably. The maximum size of its footprint, the main features of its volume, and the roofing material—ceramic tile—are inherited from the volume it replaces due to regulatory reasons. The project also incorporates characteristic elements that connect it with the language of other buildings on the estate, such as the chimney and the proportion of some windows.
The project is located next to the main vehicular access to the complex and serves as both a vehicle garage and a residence for the estate’s caretaker. The terrain's topography allows for a building with two facades, one on each of its floors; on the ground floor, there is a garage behind large gates that fully open to the access road, and on the first floor, a residence completely open to the opposite side, seeking views of the vineyards and a south-facing orientation. There is no internal communication between the two levels, which function as two separate elements protected under a single roof.
The existing building was constructed against a neighboring structure that is no longer part of the estate, and the new project disconnects from it by creating a pedestrian access between the two volumes, establishing itself as an independent piece within the constellation of architectures that populate the estate.
