Rebuilding and extending a winery on the Douro, Portugal
An old winery rebuilt as a family home, with guest accommodation and an infinity pool, in the Alto Douro World Heritage area.
The house
Seen from the river, the rebuilt winery steps down the hillside, with a deep pergola shading the first-floor terraces. Guest accommodation sits beneath the upper terrace and opens onto an infinity pool that looks across the Douro towards Arnozelo and the Linha do Douro railway bridge.
Inside
A triple-height hall gives access to every bedroom and links the lower levels with the entrance, with a bridge forming a gallery across it. At its base, one of the original lagares, the stone tanks where grapes were trodden, is now an indoor fountain that helps cool the house in summer.
Keeping cool
Fireplaces for the winter, and ceiling fans to support discreet air-conditioning in the heat. Tall sliding screens close the kitchen off in the evening.