Post Office House / Cidade Branco ArquitectosSave this picture! David PereiraArchitects: Cidade Branco ArquitectosAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:240 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:David PereiraManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: Azulcer, Cantinho do Vintage, Viva Lamego, aNeves Lead Architects: Mariana Cidade, Ricardo Branco More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. This house is the result of a rehabilitation of a nineteenth century building that was once the post office of the town of Luso, in northern Portugal. Its main use was for services related to the post office, but it also contained a living space for the local director of the post office company, called CTT. The building was characterized by a timber frame construction and outstanding carpentry details. It had an air gap that protected it from humidity and helped preserve the original wood.Save this picture!Save this picture!The building has a simple, traditional faade and marks the main axis of the village by creating symmetry between two other public buildings (the Parish Council and the Tourist Office). In order not to de-characterize the characteristic entrance that marks it, while changing its use from a building that was public into a private one, it was opted to keep the language of the neighboring buildings and inspired by that idea it was designed the gate that we wanted to look like it had always been there.espao habitacional que era destinado ao diretor local dos Correios (CTT). O edifcio caracterizava-se por uma construo em tabique e detalhes de carpintaria que se destacavam, sendo provido de um desvo sanitrio (caixa de ar) que o protege de humidades e que ajudaram a conservar as madeiras originais. O edifcio provido de uma fachada de desenho simples e tradicional e marca o eixo principal desta vila, ao criar uma simetria entre dois outros edifcios de carcter pblico (a Junta de freguesia e o Posto de Turismo). De forma a no descaracterizar a entrada caracterstica que o marca, para tornar um edifcio que era pblico em privado, optou-se por continuar o desenho da guarda envolvente do terreno e inspirados nisso desenhmos o porto que queramos que parecesse que sempre ali esteve.Save this picture!It is respect for the building and, in a way, the special interest in its details that dictates the project's strategy. In the exterior, the changes are minimal, and the image of the building remains the same - except now it looks brand new, the design of the frames has been simplified so that we have a larger area of glass and more natural light. It is in the interior, through a single gesture, that the whole project comes together.Save this picture!With the design of a void in the center of the building, a double-height area that generously connects the two floors and brings a new spatiality. This gesture helps us highlight the carpentry details that the building already had, namely the wooden trusses that support the roof, which were hidden by a suspended ceiling that we chose to remove and through the void created become present in the multiple spaces of the building. This void also brings thermal benefits by creating the chimney effect, which helps with the natural ventilation of the space, its cooling and also its heating, as less equipment is needed to heat the house.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The house ends up living around this void, where on the ground floor we enter a wide space with different social spaces, namely a living room, reading room, dining room, and kitchen, and where we also have an accessible bedroom. On the first floor, the void divides the floor plan and provides a suite on each side in a symmetrical way, leaving space for an open space office area that connects to the double-height area. In both suites, the door to the bathroom entrance is hidden in the closet doors, resulting in a seamless way to conceal the entrance to the bathroom.Save this picture!Save this picture!The woodwork was painstakingly restored, particularly the skirting boards, shutters and stair railings - we obtain this environment by the use of a natural wooden tone and the white-linen colored walls. We have deliberately brought in color through the composition of dark green tiles in the kitchen, which brings contrast, color and brightness. We would also highlight the use of Estremoz marble stone in the bathrooms and on the kitchen island worktop.It is project that above all aimed to make the best and highlight the beauty that the building itself already had.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officePublished on March 01, 2025Cite: "Post Office House / Cidade Branco Arquitectos" [Casa dos Correios / Cidade Branco Arquitectos] 01 Mar 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1027485/post-office-house-cidade-branco-arquitectos&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream