Santo Tirso, Portugal

 Led by Benjamin Machado and his team at Hous3 Arquitectura, the design for this single-family villa built on a hill overlooking Santo Tirso reinterprets the typical gabled house of the Portuguese countryside.

“The biggest challenge,” states Machado, founder of the studio, “was the initial request from the client: he did not want a flat roof or the classic peaked roof.”

“And so, we came up with the idea of redefining the silhouette of a traditional house.”

The goal was achieved by adding and subtracting from the house.

On the east side, a smaller rectangular attached volume contains the entry, while a space on the west side is hollowed out up to the roofline to create what the architects call “negative space.” 

“The living room, dining room, and kitchen give onto this patio through plate glass windows so that natural light penetrates inside the house, especially around sunset. 

It is also a design trick that allowed us to create an open-air extension of the living areas,” continues Machado. 

Matte black tiles clothe the sides up to the roofline to confer an overall sense of unity, broken by wooden slats on the north side, on the entrance unit, and in front of the openings.

The minimalist interiors feature white walls and trim and light parquet flooring everywhere. 

The living areas is a broad open space with the different functions defined by the furnishings: the fixed units in the kitchen with its central island, and the massive but mobile elements in the dining and living rooms, such as the long solid wood table and generous sofa. 

A reading space and home office were created on the upper level, accessible via a striking spiral staircase. 

Machado adds, “Sculptural, white, and lithe, it has become the focal point of the space.”

Project: Portuguese Rural Gabled House 
Architects: Hous3 Arquitectura
Client: Private