Ribeiro House

Fernando Távora receives an apparently minor commission, a holiday home in a pine forest located somewhere between the Atlantic coast north of Porto and the marshes at the mouth of the Cávad River, which separate Ofir from Esposende. On one side, are the beaches and dunes facing the ocean. On the other, the stillness of the flooded lands following the rise and fall of the tide, where freshwater meets saltwater. In the middle, some pine trees on beach sand, a suitable place to camp. The architect intends from the beginning to create something more than a building that meets the needs of the specific family and of a specific place. In his description he mentions the prevailing winds: … in summer a desperate north wind and in winter a cruel southeast wind. Fernando Távora recibe un encargo aparentemente menor, una casa de vacaciones en un pinar situado en un lugar intermedio entre la costa atlántica al norte de Oporto y las marismas de la desembocadura del río Cávad, que separan Ofir de Esposende. A un lado, las playas y dunas frente al océano. Al otro, la quietud de las tierras inundadas siguiendo las subidas y bajadas de la marea, donde el agua dulce se encuentra con la salada. En medio, unos pinos sobre arena de playa, un sitio idóneo para acampar. El arquitecto se propone desde el principio realizar algo más que un edificio que cumpla con las necesidades de la familia concreta y de un lugar específico. En su descripción menciona los vientos dominantes: … en verano un desesperante viento norte y en invierno un cruel viento suoreste. He would also refer to the characteristics of the existing architecture on the other side of the river, in Esposende; and he synthesized his previous training differentiating between the artistic and architectural currents that he knew (and appreciated, we understand): organicism, functionalism, neo-empiricism, cubism.