A Holiday Home Built Around A Ruin

One of our favorite works showcased in the book is the E/C House on the volcanic Pico Island, designed by Portuguese architecture studio SAMI-Arquitectos. The two-storey holiday home, which overlooks the Atlantic, was built around the ruins of a former house. The old stone walls are left standing, creating a striking contrast between the old and the new. Minimally furnished, the home provides a tranquil space to relax and rejuvenate. “The house, modelled inside the walls of stone, was designed with generous openings, for light to come inside and to contemplation of the landscape,” say the architects. “These openings are sometimes lined up, and sometimes not, with the former openings of the ruin, creating new frames and relations with the original limits of the house.” “Upgrade: Home Extensions, Alterations and Refurbishments” is available for purchase here via Gestalten.