Excerpt: House in Famalicao, designed by Pedro Lima da Costa, Arquitectura, leaned against the north for the best land usage and solar orientation. The spaces are articulated along a structuring corridor that is ended by the main suite. Constructively the house presents 3 dominant materials, ETICS system, stone, and glass. As much as possible, the team kept the house constructively simple so that the articulation between volumes and the shadow plays they drew were the element that characterized the house.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] The terrain is a relatively narrow plot, but with some depth. Having the street to the west and a pine forest to the east, it seemed very clear to us that the implantation of the house would have to be in the longitudinal direction of the plot, safeguarding the privacy of the spaces of greater use and conviviality overlooking the garden. In order to guarantee the best use of the land and solar orientation, the house leaned against the north limit of the plot, thus releasing the largest possible garden and pool area to the south.
The organization of the spaces developed from the street, with the pedestrian entrance, garage and kitchen, and reserving the rooms and living room for a more interior plan, with orientation mostly to the south. The spaces are articulated along a structuring corridor that is ended by the main suite. Constructively the house presents 3 dominant materials, ETICS system, stone and glass. We had, as much as possible, keeped the house constructively simple, so that the articulation between volumes and the shadow plays that they draw, were, by themselves, the element that characterizes the house.
Inside, we chose materials that convey a sense of comfort, with soft and warm colors. Punctually the exterior materials enter inside the house, making the interior/exterior transition. The flooring material, extends throughout the house, continuously and without interruptions. The walls are white, the same color as the carpentry. This way, it was possible to emphasize the wooden slatting that was executed in the living room, in the separation with the access corridor to the bedrooms. This element allowed the maximisation of natural light gains in the room, while simultaneously filtering and sending the corridor to another plane.”
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