joão mendes ribeiro elevates minimal portuguese house with concrete volume

joão mendes ribeiro elevates minimal portuguese house with concrete volume
all images by jose campos

portuguese architect joão mendes ribeiro‘s recently completed ‘house in fonte boa’, a two-storey single family residence based on a small estate located in cantral portugal’s rabaçal valley. encompassed by mountains, a vineyard and olive trees, the property is located on the west side of the land, which was once occupied by a roman villa. orientated to maximize sun exposure, the precise location solidifies the building’s positioning on the sloped terrain, and in turn, preserving the existing greenery.

a concrete block supports the structure from the sloped topography

comprised of a rectangular volume with a zinc-lined pitched roof, the form mimics the shape of the traditional housing typography. the volume detaches itself from the slope with a concrete base which internally, holds the wine cellar. meanwhile, a succession of platforms leads to the entrance of the home which has been organized in three parts: utility, living/dining and bedrooms. a timber cabinet-cum-staircase provides a connection between the two floors, while reinforcing the longitudinal direction of the house. filled with light, a relationship between the interiors and the exteriors is consistent, addressed by a series of big and small openings; the differing sizes intensifying view and daylight.

inside the concrete block, holds a small wine cellar

the single large window interrupts the white façade

the open garage, built below the terrain level, is enclosed by concrete walls

a succession of platforms leads to the entrance of the house

a glass windbreak room protects the entrance of the house

the living space

the kitchen and staircase reinforces the longitudinal organization of the interior

the large window frames the green mountainside

the staircase leads upstairs and acts as a storage system at the same time

the bedrooms are located on the second floor

the house reinterprets the traditional, single family housing typology

1/8