Tinhela 610 / Rebelo De Andrade Studio

Architects: Rebelo de Andrade Studio
Area: 465.60 m²
Year: 2023
Photography: Rebelo de Andrade Studio
Lead Architects: Luís Rebelo de Andrade, Tiago Rebelo de Andrade, Pedro Duarte Silva
Architects Team: Joana Varajão, Raquel Jorge
Design Team: José Mendanha, Nádia Santos, João Sousa
Interior Design: Luís Rebelo de Andrade, Tiago Rebelo de Andrade
Consultants: Venâncio Mendanha, José Mesquita
Civil Engineering: Venâncio Mendanha
Structural Engineering: Venâncio Mendanha
Environmental Engineering / MEP: Venâncio Mendanha
Contractor: Costa & Carreira Nogueira Fernandes
Visualization: Rebelo de Andrade Studio
City: Vila Real
Country: Portugal

Tinhela 610 transforms a group of pre-existing structures in Tresminas into an ecological hospitality complex shaped by the area’s natural and cultural heritage. Developed by Rebelo de Andrade Studio, the project accommodates 14 guests within a setting where preservation and contemporary use are closely integrated. Its design draws from the indigenous traditions of the region and the historic influence of Roman mining, particularly the nearby Tresminas and Jales complexes. Rather than imposing a new architectural identity on the site, the intervention adopts a restrained approach that preserves the character of the existing structures and strengthens their relationship with the surrounding landscape. Conceived as a refuge for reconnection with nature and the self, Tinhela 610 reflects the founders’ broader interests in self-knowledge, awareness, and sustainable management. Completed in 2023, the project demonstrates how adaptive reuse can support contemporary tourism while maintaining the environmental and cultural qualities of a sensitive rural setting.

For me, the future needs roots. The more international our practice becomes, the more important it is for each project to remain culturally and geographically specific.
Interview with Tiago Rebelo de Andrade of Rebelo de Andrade Studio

The architectural character of Tinhela 610 begins with what was already present on the site. Located in Tresminas, within the Vila Pouca de Aguiar region, the project developed around a collection of structures that had deteriorated into ruins. Rather than treating these remains as obstacles to new construction, Rebelo de Andrade Studio regarded them as essential evidence of the territory’s history and used their presence to establish the foundation for the intervention. The resulting architecture is deliberately restrained, allowing the site’s existing identity to remain legible while introducing the functions required for contemporary hospitality. This strategy reflects the wider historical context of the area, which contains significant traces of Roman mining activity associated with the Tresminas and Jales complexes. The design responds to this heritage through an interpretation of local traditions and cultural references rather than direct reconstruction, preserving existing built elements as markers of the region’s evolution.

The relationship between architecture and landscape is equally central to the project. The intervention was conceived to have a minimal impact on the local ecosystem, allowing the natural environment to remain prominent throughout the complex. New architectural elements are subordinate to the terrain and existing structures, creating a setting in which buildings and landscape are perceived as a connected whole. Recovery and careful integration take precedence over expansion, demonstrating how sustainability can begin with the intelligent reuse of resources already present on a site. The approach also enables the historic structures to retain their visual and spatial presence, ensuring that the contemporary intervention does not overwhelm the qualities that made the location significant.

Tinhela 610’s hospitality program extends this architectural philosophy into an experience centered on retreat and reflection. Designed to accommodate 14 guests, the ecological village provides a setting intended to encourage a closer relationship between occupants and their surroundings. Founders Holly Niemela and Édouard Payen brought experience in self-knowledge, awareness, and sustainable management to the project, contributing to an understanding of hospitality that extends beyond accommodation. Environmental responsibility and personal well-being are consequently treated as interconnected considerations, with the surrounding landscape becoming an active part of the guest experience rather than simply a backdrop.

Every place has its own identity, formed by its landscape, climate, materials, history and ways of life. Our responsibility is to understand that local alphabet before beginning to design. We can write something new, but we should write it using the letters that belong to that place.
Interview with Luís Rebelo de Andrade of Rebelo de Andrade Studio

Completed in 2023 following a process that began in 2016, Tinhela 610 demonstrates how sensitive architectural intervention can give new relevance to abandoned structures while preserving their historical character. Its significance lies in the balance between conservation and adaptation, allowing a contemporary tourism program to emerge from the site’s existing fabric. By maintaining the prominence of the ruins and natural landscape, the project establishes a quiet architectural presence that connects heritage, ecology, and hospitality, offering a contemporary interpretation of how historically layered rural sites can be inhabited without losing their identity.