DORMER

Bigger than any regular dormer, this attic storey in Régua has several charming features - the roof tiles, of the "canudo" type at the eaves and "marselha" everywhere else; the eaves themselves, of wood with projecting brackets; the gently swooping wood corners, made into pilasters by the addition of a simple molding at the top; and the door opening with a bizarre yet elegant combination of lattice vs minimal railing, all in wrought iron. The walls are "tabique": lime plaster over timber lath, on two layers of wood board sheathing placed at a different angle to each other; these in fact act as structure for a very thin and cheap traditional wall construction.