House in Bom Jesus / Topos Atelier de Arquitectura

Architect: Topos Atelier de Arquitectura, Lda
Location: Braga, Portugal
Project Team: Jean Pierre Porcher, Margarida Oliveira and Albino Freitas
Collaborators: Sofia Lima, Michael Ferreira, Joaquim Peixoto
Project Area: 700 m2
Project Year: Xavier Antunes

To meet the clients’ requirements we designed a black and white house with large terraces overlooking the city. The terraces’ drawings led us to involve the house in a heroically suspended ring. Between this ring and the house a garden embraces the oak-trees. On the house’s south and west sides the terraces’ horizontal subbase planes could be aligned with the skyline. The two-storey high living room was placed between these two events. The ring will probably be painted in white. The house was to be a wooden box but due to maintenance issues it will now be coated with patinaed zinc.