CARVALHOSA HOUSE
When the place draws the project.
The Carvalhosa House is built on an interior plot, a yard of an older house, with narrow street access through a three-meter-wide gate set in a granite masonry wall. The plot, located in the rural historic centre of Carvalhosa, is fully defined by the high masonry walls of the surrounding old buildings. Despite its constrained shape, the south and west orientations, combined with the two-level terraced topography, make it sunny and offer expansive views over the surrounding green fields.
The project follows the topography and is developed on two levels, each aligned with one of the existing terraces. The ground floor emerges from the redefinition of the existing retaining wall and accommodates all functional spaces of the dwelling, including the kitchen, laundry, and storage rooms. This is the stereotomic part of the house, rooted in the land, like a metaphorical cave.
Above the concrete base floats a wooden volume, supported by a reticulated metal structure. This represents the tectonic part of the house, like a hut.
The bedrooms are housed within this wooden volume and have direct access to the upper terrace, transformed into a garden. The void created between the stereotomic and tectonic volumes defines the living room, with its double-height ceiling. The living room is the heart of the house and the most important space for the family who will inhabit it.
Sometimes, a site can reveal all the essential characteristics of a project in advance. When this happens, the architect’s role is simply to observe carefully and respond thoughtfully.
Photography 3D: Pedro Fernandes | Vítor Leal Barros
Consultants: Davide Souto Eng.º
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