A small concrete structure once used as a house for doves has been transformed by Portuguese studio AZO Sequeira Arquitectos Associados into a garden playroom.

The former dovecote had sat derelict in the back garden of the clients' Braga home, so they asked the AZO Sequeira team to make it into a space that they could use.

The architects' response was to create a playroom in the elevated space that the doves previously used, while the hollow area underneath now contains a bathroom serving the family's swimming pool.

"We decided to propose a playhouse for the children and a balneary to serve the pool. The whole family loved the idea," said the designers.
"We wanted a play room inspired by magic, fantasy and also by childhood dreams and memories," they continued. "We transformed the old dovecote into a minimal concrete 'tree house' that represents these memories and fantasies."
The house itself is a bare concrete, bunker-like structure with a gabled roof and timber-textured walls.

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It is raised up over rugged stone walls, to create the impression that it floats. But it is actually supported by a central concrete wall that is barely visible from the exterior.

"We looked for a way to make it seem like the main volume is levitating, like a tree house, but simultaneously it had to be balanced and pure," said the architec...