joão mendes ribeiro elevates minimal portuguese house with concrete volume

portuguese architect joão mendes ribeiro‘s recently completed ‘house in fonte boa’, a two-storey single family residence based on a small estate located in cantral portugal’s rabaçal valley.

encompassed by mountains, a vineyard and olive trees, the property is located on the west side of the land, which was once occupied by a roman villa. orientated to maximize sun exposure, the precise location solidifies the building’s positioning on the sloped terrain, and in turn, preserving the existing greenery.

comprised of a rectangular volume with a zinc-lined pitched roof, the form mimics the shape of the traditional housing typography. the volume detaches itself from the slope with a concrete base which internally, holds the wine cellar. meanwhile, a succession of platforms leads to the entrance of the home which has been organized in three parts: utility, living/dining and bedrooms. a timber cabinet-cum-staircase provides a connection between the two floors, while reinforcing the longitudinal direction of the house. filled with light, a relationship between the interiors and the exteriors is consistent, addressed by a series of big and small openings; the differing sizes intensifying view and daylight.

 

a concrete block supports the structure from the sloped topography

 

inside the concrete block, holds a small wine cellar

 

the single large window interrupts the white façade

 

the open garage, built below the terrain level, is enclosed by concrete walls

 

a succession of platforms leads to the entrance of the house