TWO HOUSES ON THE SELVAGENS
Invisibility.
“Invisibility” was the theme of the projects submitted to the competition Two Houses on the Selvagens Islands. After reviewing the competition brief and the environmental restrictions of the site, any building proposed for the ecological paradise of the Selvagens Islands should be invisible, somehow diluted into the landscape, as if it didn’t exist or had always been part of the place’s geography. Given the theme, questions concerning construction logistics and the lack of local transport for materials should be carefully considered. Through a theoretical and reflective architectural exercise, the desire to explore two construction systems was born, one for each house, both with the same purpose and main concept: “Invisibility”.
The location proposed for the house on Selvagem Grande Island, with its geography and topography, suggested a stereotomic architecture, where the force of gravity is transmitted in an uninterrupted way and constructional continuity is complete. On the other hand, the barren and deserted landscape of Selvagem Pequena Island suggested a tectonic architecture, where the force of gravity is expressed through a structural logic of knots and joints. On this island, a gentle construction system made perfect sense, a kind of light and subtle architecture, almost immaterial.
In conclusion, two places, two languages, and two architectural approaches were conceived, both pursuing the same theme and objective: “Invisibility”.
Photography 3D: Pedro Fernandes | Vítor Leal Barros
Consultants: I+I Studio
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