Situated on the northern side of S.Miguel Island, the plot has an open view over the sorrounding fields and woods.

© Paulo Goulart

Architects: ARCO mais

Location: Rabo de Peixe, Açores, Portugal

Lead Architects: Paulo Lima, Chiara Bettelli

Area: 76.0 m2

Project Year: 2015

Photographs: Paulo Goulart

Engineering: Clife Braga, Paulo Bandarra

© Paulo Goulart

From the architect. Situated on the northern side of S.Miguel Island, the plot has an open view over the sorrounding fields and woods.

© Paulo Goulart

The client expressed a desire of openness and harmony with nature, and very little concerns about how he would like the interior of the house, except from the wish of including memories of old travels through some objects.
Floor Plan

The design keeps the action of building minimal, as aethereal as possible when working with concrete, shaping a simple frame and the border between inside and outside, giving it flexibility.

© Paulo Goulart

So we designed and built a floating concrete box. The concrete frame does not touch the ground, and the living space is separated from the outside only through a set of sliding glass panels.

Cross Section

In a plot sorrounded by high stone walls, the building is located next to the western end, with no relation with the street, becoming almost invisible from it.

© Paulo Goula...