baseArquitetura completes house in espinho with concrete façades

portuguese practice baseArquitetura has designed a concrete-clad house in its hometown of espinho, a city approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of porto. the building, which was completed earlier this year, appears as a monolithic volume with select openings cut out of its imposing board formed concrete façade. at ground level, sliding timber doors can be opened to remove the division between the home’s garden, which features a generously sized pool, and its internal living space.

all images © do mal o menos

with the door retracted, the garden forms an extension of the living accommodation, which is found at ground level. comprising timber slats, baseArquitetura designed the appearance of the sliding wooden doors to mimic the verticality of the building’s vast board formed concrete elevations. a secluded additional outdoor space is found at the rear of the property with a long concrete bench providing a place for contemplation or congregation.

select openings have been cut out of the board formed concrete façade

the use of wood is continued throughout the project’s interiors, where pale timber floors and furnishings have been paired with brilliant white walls and ceilings. minimally decorated, the scheme’s upstairs bedrooms adjoin an outdoor terrace that runs the entire length of the dwelling. other residential projects recently completed in portugal include a former winery that was transformed into a vibrantly colored two-storey home and an all-white ‘cubic’ residence.

the building appears as an imposing monolithic volume