house halffloors
2010-2013  Espinho - Portugal

architecture:

Sousa e Lopes - Gabinete de Arquitectura e Urbanismo, Lda.

terrain area:

80 m2

construction area:

277 m2

typology:

T3

The house is simple... it is organized in a vertical and hierarchical way. The social areas are on the inferior floors and the private areas on the superior levels. To achieve great visual amplitudes and dynamic interconnections between spaces, the interior was structured in half-floors. The width of the plot decided the stair. In fact, it became the heart of the house.

Positioned adjacent to those spaces is a courtyard that together with the half-floor structure induces a vertical continuity, create a gentle horizontal connection. The courtyard affords a sense of depth and expansion to the spaces, allowing for all the floors from the basement to the first to be experienced as one space connected vertically and horizontally.

It’s a minimalist house with an unique design! All interior parts were specifically designed, from the wardrobe, dressers, kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms and office furniture. The predominant colours in the house are white and black creating these a unity between the spaces making it very lightweight and "clean", with the exception of the couch, specifically designed for this house.

The house was built on a central city terrain with 80m2, were i built a house with 277 m2 (useful), an architectural achievement using half-floors! The house has three bedrooms, one dining room, one living room, one office, three exterior accessfull areas (one a complement to a bedroom, other on the dinning / kitchen level and which is made of glass and other is the rooftop where exists a swimming pool) and a two car garage with car lift.