House in Espinho
The house is located in Espinho, a small parish just a few kilometers from the center of the city of Braga. It is a isolated house, located on a sloping terrain and develops on 2 floors.
photography by © Nelson Garrido
According to the conditions of the land, we decided to install the house on the middle level of the land, in order to integrate it better into the landscape. The concept is based on the desire to make the house integrate into the landscape through its horizontal lines and its garden cover, as if the mountain entered the house.
The materiality of the house is dominated by the use of materials that are smoothly interconnected between them. We use exposed concrete with natural wood formwork on the walls and ceilings and gray ataíja natural stone for the floors, giving the building a chromatic coherence.
photography by © Nelson Garrido
In order to accentuate the light-dark contrast between the positive of the solid elements and the negative corresponding to the opening of the openings, the black aluminum frame was chosen. On the facades where the solar incidence is strongest, was designed a protection cover using the concrete material.
The distribution of the program takes into account the best solar orientation and panoramic views over the fields and over the Sameiro Sanctuary. The functional distribution provides for maximum use of solar energy, in order to obtain greater energy savings.
photography by © Nelson Garrido
Project Info:
Architects: AZO. Sequeira Arquitectos Associados
Location: Braga, Portugal
Area: 4789 m²
Project Year: 2018
Photographs: Nelson Garrido
Manufacturers: AutoDesk, Anicolor, BRUMA, Efapel, VitrA, A-Touch, Deltalight, JNF
Isabelle Laurent is a Built Projects Editor at Arch2O, recognized for her editorial insight and passion for contemporary architecture. She holds a Master’s in Architectural Theory from École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville. Before joining Arch2O in 2016, she worked in a Paris-based architectural office and taught as a faculty adjunct at the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris. Isabelle focuses on curating projects around sustainability, adaptive reuse, and urban resilience. With a background in design and communication, she brings clarity to complex ideas and plays a key role in shaping Arch2O’s editorial