Casas Fundão
House
Fundão, Portugal
Botanical Hotel
Next Project
House
Fundão, Portugal
Use
House
Local
Fundão, Portugal
Status
Ongoing / Licensing
Year
2021
Type
Commission
Size
500 m2 + 500 m2
Collaboration
P4
Settled on the Southern edge of the village of Fundão, two single-family houses, Casa LM and Casa PD, emerge from a rural set. Located on the North side of Serra da Gardunha, the plot overviews Serra da Estrela.
The topography with expressive slopes shapes the design immersed in the landscape. In such a unique territory, it is essential to understand the geographical and architectural surroundings in order to minimize the impact of the building whereas consolidating the design as something timeless.
Section
To the West, two water deposits supply Fundão. An arboreal patch divides the land into two distinct areas; one of them is hermetic and seems to close into the nature, while the other one is more exposed and open to the sights.
By defining the limits of the two parcels, the design explores and responds to these distinct features, highlighting different values in each one of them: either closing itself in the natural environment or opening to the panoramic scenery.
Openings are slitted in the land with glazed spans to bring natural light to the inside of the house. A strategic circulation and distribution unifies the space with seamless transitions between the exterior and the interior. Spatial contractions and expansions create different intimacies.
The green roof extends the nature with trees and a swimming pool. In the popular Beira-style Architecture, the volumes and compositions are very simple, using basic constructive principles. The materiality adopted follows the common principle of building with what the Earth gives you. Local materials and chromatics are chosen, which stand out as little as possible and are integrated in the landscape.
