NU.MA completes a minimalist house in santa joana, portugal

a house of rows in portugal

architecture practice NU.MA realizes a minimalistic dwelling within a residential neighborhood of santa joana, portugal. the area is defined by its repetitive rows of housing, a characteristic from which the design team drew inspiration. following this systematic repetition, the new house takes shape as an array of three rows.

the team comments: ‘the whole proposal started from a morphological condition of the terrain. this condition influenced, the programmatic and volumetric shape of the building. in terms of location, the building is developed longitudinally and adapts itself to the terrain shape, creating and defining its boundaries.’

images © ivo tavares studio | @ivotavaresstudio

a residential oasis by NU.MA

the team at NU.MA (see more here) chose to ‘close’ its house in santa joana from the street to create a sense of privacy and isolation. the team notes: ‘in our view, this should be one of the purposes and concepts of inhabit… to create a refuge where we feel good. thus, the house is facing to the street only the main entrance area and the car access. the remaining program, of an intimate nature, turns to the interior of the terrain.’

organizing the house in santa joana

NU.MA organizes the programs of its house in santa joana according to function. the social area, laid out nearer to the street, is comprised of an entrance hall, kitchen, gathering spaces, and utility areas. meanwhile, the private spaces are arranged further than the street. these zones include a reading area, bathrooms, bedrooms, and a master suite.

the design team continues: ‘concerning the shape of the building, the house was designed to create 3 main volumes that are oriented from north to south, each with a inclined roof system. the exception arises with the volume of the garage that closes the land to the north. these shapes are reflected on its interior, creating clarity and hierarchy of spaces.’