The sloping topography of the plot required the creation of a building with several levels, making the transition between the rear garden level and the urban front of the plot. Given the impossibility of creating a physical relationship between the social floor of the house – the floor that connects with the plot’s entrance – and the garden, we decided to develop a solution with an interior courtyard. This allowed the introduction of vegetation elements within the house, compensating for the lack of connection with the garden area; enhancing the introduction of natural light into the interior of the house, resulting in a more introverted house that consciously gives up visual relationships with the poorly defined urban surroundings; and, lastly, providing an exterior area protected from the strong winds in the area, allowing this space to be used regularly and enhancing the interior living experience of the house, which is projected in three dimensions through the relationships between all floors.
At the same time, a reading of the view system was made and the views were prioritized. The great advantage of this plot is its geographical position, which offers a vast visual horizon, from the Tagus estuary to Cabo Espichel. Certain that the southern quadrant has the most impactful views and, consequently, the best sun exposure, we proposed a cut, a subtraction in the volume, that emphasizes and frames this view towards the interior of the house. This unifying gesture of the project structures the entire house and defines the rule for the remaining openings to the exterior, conditioned and drawn by the search for the southern quadrant, avoiding direct visual connections with adjacent plots. The only exception is on the front elevation, however, even that opening seeks to frame the East and the visual field enjoyed by Rua Poeta José Régio.
In order to disguise the five floors that make up the house, we opted for different strategies at the back and the front of the plot. At the back, we proposed a distinct materiality at the base of the house, emphasizing a break in the continuity of the façade to create the appearance that the house levitates over three floors. This gesture, besides impacting the perception of the house’s volume, allowed us to increase the usable garden area by excavating the volume to create a shaded leisure space and install the pool.
Inside, the proposal was developed around the courtyard, as well as the glazing that projects the social living areas of the house towards the infinite horizon. Upon entering the house, we aimed to surprise visitors with a double-height space over the entrance hall and a glimpse of the courtyard, while, on the other hand, hiding the view to the exterior. This view is seen as a second revelation but also as the ultimate expression. This hierarchy of moments and sequential revelation is presented as an identity feature in the experience of the house’s interior. On the entry floor, we aimed to address the program by placing a bedroom/office that could enjoy a bathroom, and the living room and kitchen were arranged in a hierarchical manner but establishing a fluid connection between them.
One of the major challenges of this project was related to the type of living experience this plot would allow, not only in its exterior area but especially in the relationship between the exterior and the interior. And it was around this challenge that many of the project’s premises were defined: the search for a solution that would allow a house that, despite its distance from the garden, benefits from an exterior area protected with privacy and in close relationship with the interior. On the other hand, we sought to reduce the impact of circulation with the garden and maximize the use of the available area, seeking the qualities you most desired.
In short, this is a house designed for a more inward-focused living experience, but around an interior where boundaries fade, where light, horizon, and vegetation overflow.
