The house is
located in a lot with 8 x 40 meters (24 x 120 feet) in the urban historical
fabric of the city of Cartaxo.
A central
patio and a garden allow the light to go through all spaces of the house during
the day. This central patio is an importance element in the structure of the
house, designing a void, around which the house develops itself. The project explores
the length of the site enabling its inhabitants to enjoy its different spaces
and visualize, wander or move into and through this axis that becomes the main
movement sequence of the project.
The house
and the garden are part of the same spatial entity in the way one may dwell in
the house and enjoy both its exterior and interior spaces and their multiple inter-relations.
This is also manifested by a white wall that brings together circulation and
the different spaces of the ground floor, from the entrance, through the
circulation long axis, the living room and into the garden, wrapping the music
room and then folding back to the living/dining room, where the family may
gather. The family main social areas are located on the ground floor. The
several spaces on the ground floor have also different headroom, thus
emphasizing the different ambiences of the house. The stair that connects both
floors only has threads and therefore becomes a visual filter between the
entrance and the living room and the garden. One consists as a plastic and
transparent element, assuming distinct materiality. It is more massive binding
on the lower levels and more transparent binding to the first floor,
contributing to filter visually the light that comes from the living area.
Large glazed
elements emphasize the relation between the several interior spaces and the
garden and the north facing courtyard that brings light to the kitchen and to a
small office. The first floor is mainly a white entity gently sits above the
ground floor. This floor accommodates the bedrooms and a rather more intimate
living room with a play area for the children. The north facing courtyard
brings light into this space through a large glazed wall and connects it to the
more social spaces of the family located on the ground floor. A second exterior
patio painted in strong yellow, frailty reveals itself through a slit on the
wall that connects booth patios and organizes a dedicated area to the treatment
of clothes.
The smaller
spaces of the house such as the kitchen and bathrooms are disclosed with
texture and warm colours, in counterpoint with the bigger spaces with a more
social character of the house, exploring their particular spatial and light
conditions.