The house is located on a south-facing, rectangular farmland plot, on a descending slope to the South (next to the public road), and overlooking the Castle of Ourém.
There is a difference in height between the highest point and the lowest point of approximately 4.50m.
The project draws from the universal archetypal representation of a house, a pentagon composed by five lines representing the walls and the roof.
The main aim is to satisfy the architectural requirements that are part of the architect owner’s formal and spatial imaginary, as well as the family’s functional needs.
The building form follows the archetypal pentagon, trying not to distort from its principle. The pergola assumes the same design, as an extension from the house.
The house was developed based on the modular composition principle, creating a proper rhythm in the façades and roofing. The constructive method adopted consists in the use of prefabricated black concrete panels, with a regular dimension, that defines the stereotomy of the project, since it is composed of repeated modules arranged sequentially. The use of black concrete as a material aims for a smooth integration in harmony with the landscape, as well as reduce maintenance costs.
In formal terms, the house results in a simple and perfectly regular volume, almost monolithic, that lands on the ground, in the longitudinal direction of its inclination, in an intermediate point overlooking the street.

Filipe Saraiva Arquitectos

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