Casa Pinhal: a renovation by João Tiago Aguiar in Sintra that deepens the connection with nature and light

Nestled in a lush pine landscape in Sintra, this house required a thorough renovation. The intervention by the architecture studio João Tiago Aguiar dissolves the boundary between interior and exterior, fostering a more intense relationship with nature and light. The project seeks clarity, restraint, and timelessness—qualities revealed in the way the space unfolds and materials are composed.

A key gesture was the relocation of the staircase. In the original layout, its large scale dominated the living room and broke the spatial flow. Moving it to the entrance hall—until then oversized—reclaimed habitable space and created a double-height void bathed in natural light. The base of the staircase now becomes a sculptural element, thanks to two stone steps detached from the wall and the rest of the structure, appearing to emerge as independent pieces. From there, the staircase continues in wood, incorporating discreet storage beneath its line and uniting function with spatial clarity.

Other interventions redefined everyday use: the service bathroom was transformed into a guest powder room by reversing its access, while the former bathroom next to the kitchen became part of the redesigned main suite. A new pergola now extends it outwards, creating a shaded, private retreat with strategic openings that filter the light without losing the sense of openness.

Exterior renovation

The former organically shaped pool was replaced by a more serene rectilinear outline, designed for relaxation and sunbathing. Its interior and edges were clad in handcrafted green terracotta tiles that blend seamlessly with the garden’s palette.

The adjoining outbuilding was reorganised into three visually lighter volumes, with recessed entrances marked by translucent glass. This fragmentation breaks up the original mass and suggests a sequence of distinct uses—laundry, storage, technical areas—an architectural rhythm that continues in the new pergola, a detail that lets the light in and softens the silhouette of the façade.

Throughout the project, noble materials such as wood, stone, and glass coexist with artisanal pieces, especially in the upper-floor bathrooms. The result is an architecture that steps back to give prominence to the space itself: serene precision in every gesture, weaving a lasting relationship between space, use, and context.

Project: Pinewood SS & RV Villa.
Author: João Tiago Aguiar arquitectos.
Location: Sintra, Portugal.
Completion: 2025.
Built area: 300 m².
Plot area: 1.090 m².
Lead architect: João Tiago Aguiar.
Project team: Nuno Sequeira, Francisco Barosa, Beatriz Fróis, Maria Reis, Giulia Giust, Rita Cardoso Lemos, Rúben Mateus, Diogo Romão, Ricardo Carvalho, Pedro Vieira, Paulo Jorge Dias, Élvio Pereira, João Fonseca, Gonçalo Coimbra, Carolina Silva, Maria Sousa Otto, Susana Luís, Renata Vieira.
Builder: José Nunes, Construções.
Engineering: Engenharia 3.4.
Photography: Francisco Nogueira.
Source: João Tiago Aguiar arquitectos.

Materials and products

Paint: CIN.
Sanitary equipment and taps: Padimat.
Carpentry: GLS2.
Wood flooring: Madeicentro.
Switches and sockets: Efapel.
Metal structures and works: RCMetal.
Handcrafted tiles for the pool: Estilos Rústicos.
Natural stone: Tons de Pedra.
Metal “tunnel” structure at the entrance: A. Moreira Cadete.
Metal joinery: Technal – Caixifer.

João Tiago Aguiar

Lisbon, 1973. The city where he was born is also the place from which he projects his gaze onto the world. A graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at the Technical University of Lisbon in 1996, João Tiago Aguiar began his career abroad, working between 1997 and 2000 at the van Sambeek & van Veen studio in Amsterdam. Upon returning to Portugal, he collaborated with Broadway Malyan until 2004, the year he co-founded AC Arquitectos. Four years later, he chose to shape a more personal path and established João Tiago Aguiar, arquitectos, in the heart of Lisbon.

His studio develops projects that move naturally between residential architecture, hospitality, restaurants, and furniture and lighting design. With a style that combines technical precision and sensitivity to the site’s origins, he approaches an urban rehabilitation with the same care as the construction of a new building, always attentive to the client’s needs and identity.

His work, published and acclaimed both in Portugal and abroad, has earned awards such as the Surface Design Awards on two occasions, the Renov 2015 Prize, Archello’s Best of 2020, the SIL Prize 2021, and the Construir Prize 2021, as well as mentions in international competitions such as the Golden Trezzini Awards. Among his most notable projects are Avencas Ocean View Residences and Maison Eduardo Coelho, both recognised for their architectural excellence and contribution to the urban landscape.

He has been invited to serve on juries for national and international competitions, including the affordable housing competition in Almada and The Tiny House by Volume Zero magazine. His multidisciplinary approach leads him to collaborate with engineers, interior designers, landscape architects, and artists to create comprehensive projects in which every detail dialogues with the whole, resulting in spaces where architecture, design, and art merge into a unique and coherent language.

Project by João Tiago Aguiar