When we identify with the place, we contemplate the future and stay, always with the romantic idea of building a life. This is what happened to Rogério Almeida and his then business partner Ricardo Romanholo, the architect and author of the project, when they stumbled across the ruin of the old mill on the banks of the River Bugio in Felgueiras. The whole setting lent itself to idyllic wanderings of retreat and encounter, suggesting days spent in peaceful and restful abandon under the shade of the foliage, feeling the breeze and the ubiquitous sound of the river.
The granite walls rise out of the water, creating the memory of a mill that is over 140 years old. The two-bedroom duplex took on its present form four years after the land was bought in 2004. The route goes downwards, like a slow dip in the water. The entrance is on the first floor, at street level, where there is an open space with a living room, dining area and kitchen; the private areas — the master suite and guest bedroom — descend to water level by means of a broad, flowing staircase.