{"id":40923,"date":"2025-08-10T09:39:46","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T09:39:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/casa-pinhal-una-rehabilitacion-de-joao-tiago-aguiar-en-sintra-que-consigue-una-relacion-mas-intensa-con-la-naturaleza-y-la-luz\/"},"modified":"2025-08-11T15:02:57","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T15:02:57","slug":"casa-pinhal-a-renovation-by-joao-tiago-aguiar-in-sintra-that-deepens-the-connection-with-nature-and-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/casa-pinhal-a-renovation-by-joao-tiago-aguiar-in-sintra-that-deepens-the-connection-with-nature-and-light\/","title":{"rendered":"Casa Pinhal: a renovation by Jo\u00e3o Tiago Aguiar in Sintra that deepens the connection with nature and light"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nestled in a lush pine landscape in Sintra, this house required a thorough renovation. The intervention by the architecture studio Jo\u00e3o Tiago Aguia<\/a>r dissolves the boundary between interior and exterior, fostering a more intense relationship with nature and light. The project seeks clarity, restraint, and timelessness\u2014qualities revealed in the way the space unfolds and materials are composed.<\/p>\n\n

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\u2014until then oversized\u2014reclaimed 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.<\/p>\n\n

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The fireplace was reinterpreted: the former stone hearth and exposed chimney gave way to a dark grey metal surface, interrupted only by the fire opening\u2014an elemental, abstract gesture.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The mezzanine railing was replaced with a new one that also functions as a bookshelf\u2014a functional and poetic element.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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To improve vertical connection, the two bathrooms on the upper floor were redesigned in more compact versions, gaining fluidity and freeing space for the new central void.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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The kitchen and dining room complete the day area, an open-plan space connected to the garden through large windows.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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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.<\/p>\n\n

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On the fa\u00e7ade, new large-format french doors open the interior to light and landscape.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Exterior renovation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s palette.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u2014laundry, storage, technical areas\u2014an architectural rhythm that continues in the new pergola, a detail that lets the light in and softens the silhouette of the fa\u00e7ade.<\/p>\n\n\n

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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.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Ground floor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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First floor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Section AA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Section BB<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Section CC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Southeast elevation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Northwest elevation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Southwest elevation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Northeast elevation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

Project<\/strong><\/strong>: Pinewood SS & RV Villa.
Author<\/strong>: Jo\u00e3o Tiago Aguiar arquitectos<\/a>.
Location<\/strong><\/strong>: Sintra, Portugal.
Completion<\/strong><\/strong>: 2025.
Built area<\/strong><\/strong>: 300 m\u00b2.
Plot area<\/strong><\/strong>: 1.090 m\u00b2.
Lead architect<\/strong><\/strong>: Jo\u00e3o Tiago Aguiar.
Project team<\/strong><\/strong>: Nuno Sequeira, Francisco Barosa, Beatriz Fr\u00f3is, Maria Reis, Giulia Giust, Rita Cardoso Lemos, R\u00faben Mateus, Diogo Rom\u00e3o, Ricardo Carvalho, Pedro Vieira, Paulo Jorge Dias, \u00c9lvio Pereira, Jo\u00e3o Fonseca, Gon\u00e7alo Coimbra, Carolina Silva, Maria Sousa Otto, Susana Lu\u00eds, Renata Vieira.
Builder<\/strong><\/strong>: Jos\u00e9 Nunes, Constru\u00e7\u00f5es.
Engineering<\/strong><\/strong>: Engenharia 3.4<\/a>.
Photography<\/strong><\/strong>: Francisco Nogueira<\/a>.
Source<\/strong>: Jo\u00e3o Tiago Aguiar arquitectos.<\/p>\n\n\n

Materials and products<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Paint<\/strong>: CIN<\/a>.
Sanitary equipment and taps<\/strong>: Padimat<\/a>.
Carpentry<\/strong>: GLS2.
Wood flooring<\/strong>: Madeicentro<\/a>.
Switches and sockets<\/strong>: Efapel<\/a>.
Metal structures and works<\/strong>: RCMetal.
Handcrafted tiles for the pool<\/strong>: Estilos R\u00fasticos.
Natural stone<\/strong>: Tons de Pedra<\/a>.
Metal \u201ctunnel\u201d structure at the entrance<\/strong>: A. Moreira Cadete<\/a>.
Metal joinery<\/strong>: Technal<\/a> \u2013 Caixifer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jo\u00e3o Tiago Aguiar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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, Jo\u00e3o 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 Jo\u00e3o Tiago Aguiar, arquitectos, in the heart of Lisbon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s origins, he approaches an urban rehabilitation with the same care as the construction of a new building, always attentive to the client\u2019s needs and identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has been invited to serve on juries for national and international competitions, including the affordable housing competition in Almada and The Tiny House<\/em> by Volume Zero<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jo\u00e3o Tiago Aguiar arquitectos
<\/strong>Rua da Emenda 111
1200-169 Lisboa
+351 213 420 546
info@joaotiagoaguiar.com
joaotiagoaguiar.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The essence of the project lies in balance: between shadow and light, full and empty, shelter and openness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40878,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","editor_plus_copied_stylings":"{}","footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[624],"tags":[1930,1929,923,1593],"ppma_author":[249],"class_list":["post-40923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-architecture","tag-casa-pinhal-en","tag-joao-tiago-aguiar-en","tag-portugal-en","tag-residential-architecture"],"authors":[{"term_id":249,"user_id":1,"is_guest":0,"slug":"amoratinos","display_name":"Ex\u00e1gono","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/95418ef5af1f1a520d5386cfe82ba253c88665f94a4343ec69a36d8df034ab4b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_category":"","first_name":"","last_name":"","user_url":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40923"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40923\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40923"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=40923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}