The house designed by Mário Alves Arquiteto aims to optimize solar exposure while simultaneously establishing a direct connection with the surrounding environment and the immediate green space. This arrangement shapes the program's development so that, as one moves further into the site, the spaces become progressively more private and sheltered.
The configuration of the volumes and their openings allows for control of natural light and visually extends the interior spaces outwards. Their form and materiality reinterpret the vernacular architecture of the area, reinforcing the project's local identity.
House SM by Mário Alves Arquiteto. Photograph by Ivo Tavares Studio.
Project description by Mário Alves Arquiteto
The project is based on two premises: reconciling the requested program with the characteristics of the site. The site is located in an area where there is currently no construction on its periphery, but this will change in the near future.
The requirement to resolve the program on a single floor requires that the remaining green space become an integral part of the programmatic composition. Therefore, the idea involves creating two volumes that, due to their programmatic content, would assume distinct positions and volumes. The volumes are positioned on the site to take advantage of the solar exposure while also interacting with the surroundings and the remaining green space.
This positioning defines the development of the program. The further inland the site, the more private and reserved the space. The composition of the volumes and their openings to the exterior provide the interior with controlled light and an extension of the interior space to the exterior. Their form and materiality are intended to embody the typical buildings of this area.
