UTOPIA's concrete house gently digs into its greenery terrain in portugal

unveiling UTOPIA’s concrete house

located in almacinha, portugal, UTOPIA’s concrete house gently cuts into its greenery terrain. the resulting structure was born from the topography of the area, seeking to respect the natural surroundings while providing inhabitants with sweeping views of the aguieira dam. taking environmental concerns into consideration, the design team clad the roof in a verdant veil, all the while ensuring maximum thermal efficiency for the semi-underground home.all images by UTOPIA

a green veil preserves the charm of the natural surroundings

with the concrete house, the architects sought to fade the boundaries between the build and nature. they opted for a concrete structure, as it is symbolically pretty close to a rock’s appearance. its adaptability allowed them to model the landscape, forming slopes and terraces, yet maintaining the surfaces green. therefore, in some parts, the exterior is geometrized and in others is just left in its natural state. the final design presents itself as a volume with clean, simple geometries in a bid to maximally preserve the green charm of the site and inject natural lighting within.

towards the interior, the architects selected a muted palette of cool greys combined with timber tones. the entire floor is made of varnished reinforced concrete unraveling following the character of the exterior. the spatial organization meets a simple approach, which places all the living spaces in front. there, the residents can enjoy the views that open towards the landscape and porch. the dining area, kitchen, and living room unfold as a unified space that can be separated with movable partitions if needed. finally, all rooms flood in natural light through windows protected by the porches or zenithal light of the roof. ‘the concrete in the end turns out to be a geological process produced by mankind and the element that allows us to model the landscape carefully.’

the roof is entirely green while the concrete appears externally on the facade and landscape walls