U House, Ericeira

Ericeira, Portugal

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U House, Ericeira

Ericeira, Portugal

Firm

Type

Residential › Private House

YEAR

2010

SIZE

25,000 sqft - 100,000 sqft

The U House
located in Ericeira, a World Surfing Reserve, was designed for José Gregório
three times national Surf champion and a well known big wave rider, his wife
and two daughters. This 300 Square meter house occupies a big lot, surrounded
by a dense mesh of trees, on top of a hill overlooking Saint Lorenzo Bay. Our
mutual interest in sustainability didn’t keep us from wholeheartedly embracing
modern design. The goal was to avoid green pronouncements, allowing to achieve
ascetics and exciting architecture solutions, instead of designing a building fully
controlled by superfluous green technologies and merely aggregating raw
materials.

The house
design emerges from the inevitability of protection of prevailing winds. The
north wind dominant in the summer and the stormy south wind dominant in the
winter carrying the rain from the sea. Therefore the central idea was a design
based in the reinterpretation of ancient’s Mediterranean patio houses, creating
a patio sitting on a plateau embraced by two long arms interconnected by a
third body, never ignoring the fabulous views to the west even in interior
spaces. Abundant glazing brings in natural light while a high performance
envelope controls temperatures. Eco-friendly Interior finishes and art work
made from recycled materials take place in prominent places in the house.

The
numerous sustainable features includes: cork has a primary isolation material, passive
design (natural heating and cooling), floor and water heating by solar panels
supported by biomass heating, microclimate environment created by the patio and
the pool (pool water without chemical treatment) and rainwater harvesting
(collected in a preexisting well) for irrigation proposes.

The house’s
success in harmonizing design, functionality and sustainability is augmented by
its livability, extreme comfort and considerable savings in consumption of
water and energy. Its humble size and careful design are a testament to the
success balance of architecture with a prescriptive performance design.