NoArq . photos: © João Morgado . + archdaily
A single-family dwelling. A 1500 m2 plot of land in Trofa. From Rua do Carvalhinho to the north, the topography drops 2.4 m to the adjacent road to the south, the EN104. In the east, the elevation of the abutting soil rises 2 m above the land. We demolished the old farming house facing the road made of soft stone and clay with a packed earth floor. An urban annoyance. We kept the square schist well, the old fruit tree and the location of the old accesses to the land on the north and south sides.
_
The geometric reasons for the proposal were in place – tree and well. We tried an “S”. Then a “4”, and we failed. An “H” that occupied the centre of the land was possible. The “legs” embrace the tree and the “arms” go around the well. The “H” has a social patio to the south, sheltered from the slanting east and west sunlight and protected from the predominant north-westerly winds. The entrance patio is to the north. The house has a single floor (as if) carved from the earth. A high threshold grants access to the landscaped roof. It has a gross floor area of 377.38 m2.
The centre of the volume (in H) houses the most frequently used areas for the inhabitants and daily activities: entrance, distribution, services and meals. The west wing is reserved for meeting, relaxation and services such as the bathrooms and laundry. To the east there are two bodies connected to the central volume (stretching northwards and southwards) to make up the rest of the “H” and these are used as a garage and the lounge area. The garage has the worst situation on the plot in what sun exposure is concerned. The original schist walls were reworked, extended and rebuilt because of the landscaping obligations in Rua do Carvalhinho.
