ESQUISSOS reinterprets portuguese local aesthetic in contemporary residence

for their latest residential project, architecture firm ESQUISSOS reinterpreted the visual construction language and traditional materials from the village of cascais, portugal, to design a building that blends into its lively context. given a small house among a dense residential street, the architects focused on the scale and proportion within their design and created a house with a clean language and contemporary details.

ESQUISSOS aimed to preserve the local identity and original lines of the residence, respecting the memory of the building. the house’s program is spread throughout four different levels: three of them connected by a stair that stands as a sculpture, the main element in the circulation. the staircase starts as part of the furniture and, as it goes up, starts to dematerialize. this move allows a more permeable relationship between levels, opening the space and letting more natural light in.

although the building is small, squeezed between other picturesque houses, the areas are spacious and light. especially on the 1st floor, at street level, the ample area works as an open space, leading to the feeling of spacious and benefiting in terms of useful areas. the bedrooms and bathrooms are in the intermediate floors. the third level has a recessed balcony, which gives access to the last level, which includes a terrace, the result of the subtraction of matter.

project info:

project name: house gd

architecture firm: ESQUISSOS

completion year: 2019

gross built area: 131 sqm

project location: cascais, portugal

photo credits: ivo tavares studio