fala atelier uses black + white stripes to frame 'uneven house' in porto

fala atelier has converted a ground floor shop and its basement into the ‘uneven house’, a private apartment located in a 1960’s housing block in porto. recurring elements in the portuguese studio’s practice, such as marble, mirrors, and geometric shapes, also characterize this house, whose two levels are conceived as a main room spanning between the two façades. inside, a black and white stone pattern defines the boundary between the ceiling and the tall windows, while it also extends outside as a striped frieze that marks the perimeter of the project’s garden.

all images by ricardo loureiro

fala atelier demolished an extension in the back of the building in order to provide a garden for the new house. adding a playful note to the otherwise cheerless 1960’s housing block, the garden is defined by the black and white frieze and two circular shapes: a mirror that strategically reflects its surroundings; and a large, red disc that acts as the handle for the exterior staircase. the façade on the garden side makes the house appear as if it comprises of only one, very tall level thanks to the floor-to-ceiling openings of both levels. 

the two levels of the house are conceived as one main room spanning between the two façades. the longitudinal spaces are defined by a straight white wall on one side, and a composite wall on the opposite, which comprises three massive plywood doors leading to the secondary programs of the project. while the geometries of the walls vary between the two levels, the position of the doors and the finishes remain the same. finally, the visual presence of the load-bearing structure of the building, which goes through the project, is challenged by claddings of marble and mirrors.

project info:

name: uneven house

architect: fala atelier

team: filipe magalhães, ana luisa soares, ahmed belkhodja, costanza favero, lera samovich, paulo sousa

landscape architect: pomo

surface area: 180 m2

contractor: civiflanco lda

location: porto, portugal