pigmented lime mortar + cork clad this vacation home beside long swimming pool in portugal

portuguese studio bak gordon arquitectos designed casa azul— a vacation home for a group of four friends located in grândola, a small town in the southern alentejo, portugal. the architects covered the exterior and interior with materials commonly used for construction in the area, to connect the dwelling with its location.

all images by francisco nogueira

bak gordon arquitectos designed the vacation home as an airy space featuring wide windows and large openings where the residents can wind off and escape the heat. the house was built together with a pool that runs along the south wall of the house. it was a starting point for the architect and an element that they based their design on.

the house was designed with two areas that support the geometric structure on the east and west ends. the east end features a traditional wood-burning stove and includes an indoor/outdoor dining area. as for the west end, the architects chose a prime spot to place a seating area for watching the sunset and enjoying the surrounding views. alentejo marble slabs that are inspired by irrigation tanks in the region, clad part of the back partition to protect the pool. the swimming pool reflects the spacious rural landscape.

the relationship between light and shadow plays an important role in the design of the house. the building’s geometric arrangement and the wide windows and openings were designed to allow as much light as possible to penetrate as well as provide multiple places to admire the natural landscape outside. to counteract extreme heat casa azul was covered in cork—a regional material—which and acts as a thermal insulator.

project info:

name: casa azul

designer: bak gordon arquitectos

location: alentejo, portugal

photography:francisco nogueira