This construction, designed and carried out by the architect Pedro Geraldes in 2018, is part of a concept of an industrial installation for global energy company EDP. It is meant to act as a base for the observation and control of a dam in case of emergency.
It is located in Ermida, central region of Portugal, in an area bound by a beautiful watercourse and surrounded by a large forest. This contemporary industrial building aims to reinterpret traditional buildings, honoring the name of the location and respecting the materiality of the architectural history of the company.
The construction needed to remain in a high location, protected from floods and allowing a perfect view from the inside to the dam. This made interventions in the landscape necessary, which resulted in a high-level platform and vehicle access leading to the entrance of the building.
The design of an industrial building in a forest area, with some traditional buildings with sloping roofs, made it possible to envision how a contemporary industrial building could fit into this landscape.
The entrance is totally opaque in aluminum, with the exception of two glass doors, while the rear facade is entirely glass, except for the area where ventilation was required.
