South facing house. Casa in Lamego by António Ildefonso Architect

Project description by António Ildefonso

The plot is a 70mx40m rectangle with a difference of 5m between high and low elevation.

Starting at the low elevation, an existing path to the east gives access to a contiguous house to the north which was the reference to the chosen site.

It was decided to build the house against the driveway, the volume is adjusted until it slightly turns its back on anyone who arrives and the house also manages to carefully protect the view of the surrounding landscape, in this position. It is in this game of hide and seek that the surprise increases, we start wanting to climb, to understand, to arrive, to enter, to discover.

On the back of the house only the main entrance with a small porch that receives those who arrive stands out and even before entering we are completely prevented from seeing the surroundings.

If we were to fly over the house we would realize it is an open “V” facing the landscape and the sun is to the south, which fits into the land without changing it, and thus, enhancing the natural slope of the land to solve the access to the basement, the low level floor, where the garage is located, as well as the main access to the house, the high level floor, and we would also realize that, essentially, the house meets around the terrace and that the terrace is the house or that the house also has a terrace.

If we wish we can say: for the house to be a living machine, on the terrace there is the barbecue next to the porch in the vicinity of the kitchen to be adequate. Or we may also say: for the house to be beautiful, on the terrace there is also a bench to protect the whole higher outside area pleasantly.

When we look outside from inside facing the terrace, we feel that we have arrived, we feel that we have understood and then we can expand, we can understand, we want to stay and to be there.

On the lower floor the garage and support spaces are sorted. The staircase is very simple and connects right to the entrance of the kitchen.

On the upper floor of the house, the different living spaces are accommodated symmetrically starting from the living room. They are all facing the terrace. They are all open to the sun, to the porch, to the terrace and to the landscape.