Abstract. This article seeks to analyse the methodology and principles underlying the interventions of the Portuguese architect and professor Fernando Távora (1923–2005) in the conservation and renovation of vernacular architecture in the north of Portugal. The publication of his essay O problema da Casa Portuguesa (1945), his attendance at the last CIAM meetings (1952–1959) and his participation in the Survey on Popular Architecture in Portugal (1956–1961) reaffirmed his belief in creating a modern architecture that respected the values of local traditions. The features of the so-called “third way” – building a bridge between tradition and modernity – are to be found not only in his ex novo works, but also in his conservation and renovation of rural constructions, such as the house of Quinta da Cavada in Briteiros (1989–90) and another house in Pardelhas (1993–99). Based on the evidence of these case studies, this paper will focus on the features of his particular modus operandi: a case-by-case approach, a deep knowledge of vernacular constructions, the recovery of traditional materials and techniques supported by the ancestral knowledge of local craftsmen, respect for the preexisting scale through the use of ‘anonymous design’ and ‘subtle modernity’, visible in such gestures as the colour treatment, furniture design, joinery, light fixtures, door handles or metalwork. Finally, the paper will also reflect on the importance of Távora’s teachings about interventions in vernacular architecture in Portugal, as well as on the future challenges for the preservation of this scattered heritage in the light of the current abandonment and depopulation of rural areas.

The Casa da Igreja of Mondim de Basto (1958-1961) is a pioneering work of architectural renovation in the career of the Portuguese architect Fernando Távora (1923-2005), where he applies the theoretical approaches of conciliation between the values of tradition and the advances of the Modern Movement directly on the historical pre-existence. The design was at a time of extraordinary intellectual density and great architectural production of the author, coinciding with his attendance at the last CIAM and conduction of the "Inquiry into Popular Architecture in Portugal". Though little investigated previously, Casa da Igreja can be considered a paradigm of the so-called "third way" and an experimental work in search of personal criteria of heritage intervention. The project reveals careful analysis of pre-existence, supporting sensible introduction of contemporary language in respectful continuity with the forms and atmospheres of the past. This design strategy shows the key points of an emerging modus operandi to be developed in later interventions with strong repercussion and pedagogy in the Portuguese context.

This article seeks to analyze the methodology and principles underlying the intervention of the Portuguese architect and professor Fernando Távora (1923-2005) in the renovation of manor houses in the north of Portugal. Throughout his renowned professional career, Távora designed the refurbishment of numerous country houses, managing to adapt uses and spaces to the new requirements without undermining their strong identity in the landscape and their historical and architectural values. Thus, the study of his particular methodology can provide design guidelines to approach the adaptive reuse of this cultural legacy with respect for its heritage values, especially in rural areas undergoing a severe process of depopulation and agro-productive transformation. Three case studies have been selected in order to determine the evolution and consolidation of his practice: The Casa da Igreja in Mondim de Basto (1958-1961), the Casa da Covilhã (1963-1988) and the Casa da Breia (1984-1985). These renovation projects reveal careful analysis of the preexistence, supporting sensitive introduction of new elements with subtle contemporary expression in respectful continuity with the forms and atmospheres of the past.