House in Santo Amaro, Monção
- House, Project & Construction
- Ceivães, Monção, 1997/2000
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- Photography: {"type":"doc","content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"type":"text","text":"JMF"}]}]}
The house in Santo Amaro, in Ceivães, Monção, is the realization of a dreamlike universe and the synthesis of references and memories. It is a new construction that identifies with the materials and the plastic expression of the surrounding built landscape, of which it wants to be a part. The layout, volume, and symbolic expression of the house mark the entrance to the property it dominates, and whose space it structures and organizes.
References
Among the immediate references are the granite walls, the roof covering, and the pillars with capitals, all in granite.
The house, as a key, structuring, and dominant element of the agricultural property space in Minho, must symbolize this. On the other hand, it must establish the boundary between the space of social representation, in the Place, and the space of work and production.
The House
The house in Santo Amaro is a retreat, a space of peace and contemplation. However, it is also a reference in the territory: the "entrance to the estate," the infrastructure for the exploitation of six hectares of vineyard.
The functional program is that of a large and growing family. Therefore, the house must have the potential to adapt.
The desired architectural language determined the structural solutions and the composition of the exterior walls. Thus, the stereotomy of these walls and the granite pillars was designed.
The porticos and porches, the balconies and courtyards, all have the essence of the "Minho house". Their configurations and functionalities are what is required to face all Seasons of the Year.
The ground floor is predominantly occupied by the daily living areas, kitchen, and living rooms. The exception is a suite adapted for reduced mobility.
The kitchen occupies the central space of the floor and dominates the living rooms, the outdoor courtyard, and the entire expanse of the vineyard.
The upper floor houses the bedrooms and their respective bathrooms. This floor, which overlooks a vast expanse of the surrounding territory, has an outdoor courtyard dedicated to contemplating the landscape over Galicia. This courtyard is accessible from the outside via a staircase made of granite blocks.
The composition and articulation of volumes (between the house and the garage) and the forms are not a transposition of a case or a known model from local tradition, but rather the creation of an image of the ensemble identified with the tradition of vernacular construction, of a house built in the present day, and therefore, contemporary in comfort, functionality, and performance.
Comfort and Sustainability
The effectiveness of thermal insulation, even in unconventional ways, and the shading of openings during the summer, add comfort and rationality to energy consumption.