Lunawood Thermowood in S. Pedro de Avioso Chapel | Lunawood

S. Pedro de Avioso chapel is located in rural Portugal with a history of stone buildings with typical small construction. The sleek line Chapel stands out for its constructive lightness. Evidence of inspiration from local building traditions can be seen in its base, elevating the building from the garden and paved areas around it with a concrete structure.

The exterior is coated with Lunawood Thermowood profiles, applied vertically and fixed to the cover slabs and floor by a metallic structure. They are also interconnected together with equally-spaced stainless steel rods for further stability. The application of the Thermowood is a tribute to the traditional agricultural granaries, typical of the territory.

The architect wanted to bring natural light into the chapel for a peaceful atmosphere. The gap between the Lunawood Thermowood profiles allows the exterior light to penetrate the building and the interior light to shine; it also shades the polycarbonate panels of the exterior walls to avoid overheating.

The chapel’s entrance is large and fully coated with Corten steel, it gives the building chromatic uniformity, in harmony with the wood and concrete. Thermowood helps to create a pleasant atmosphere and balance out the colder materials such as concrete and polycarbonate. In the interior, the use of wood predominates in the floors and wall cladding panels. Interior wood improves the thermal and acoustic performance of the building.

Thermowood has low maintenance costs and durability which is why it was selected for the wood in this project the architect, Susana Carvalho, is in charge of maintenance of the finished building and knows Thermowood as a good material for responsible design. Suzana favors the original warm brown tone of Lunawood Thermowood products; she treats the wood with pigmented wood oil or stain because of its propensity to develop a natural silver-grey patina when exposed to sunlight.