House 1 in Penafiel | Claudio Vilarinho

Portugal based architect Claudio Vilarinho has designed a private house, House 1 in Penafiel. The idea of the project is to build a house that sitting on the sloping green terrain and cantilevered towards the valley, the car-porch space is defined by the overhanging white volume where the living and dining space take place.

+ Text below provided by architect, Claudio Vilarinho

Ideas before construction:

The idea: a white volume (28x10m) that rests on a continuous grass carpet.

The second idea: the house has 6 façades.

When in a highest stage we are descending the existing path, we see a volume that comes down and accompanies us; suddenly this volume leans up and projects itself to the valley.

Floor Plan courtesy Claudio Vilarinho

The parking is located below the house (standing 10m in the air), the floor is made out of cement slabs that enables the circulation of a car while the grass grows.

Section + Elevation courtesy Claudio Vilarinho

The access to the main entrance of the house it’s done through a “negative in the centre of the body” (a patio that contains a small tree).

Site Plan courtesy Claudio Vilarinho

Besides this opening in the roof, it has other four; we explore ways of air circulation, shades, contemplation; we want to enable different atmospheres.

The program is the conventional one for a house with four bedrooms.

In the elaboration of the project we had the need to orient the openings for the sights towards the horizon, on the other hand those same openings are predominantly oriented to West and South, leaving the East façade completely closed.

The intention of the matter:
1- a skin, a body;
2- the material, white, with a subtle texture:
a. on the walls of the façade,
b. on the exterior ceilings,
c. on the balconies floors,
d. on the patios floors,
e. and on the roof.

We wanted the sealing of the house’s terrain to be permeable (wooden slats 6x6cm). The construction system is made out of Light Steel Frame

+ Project credits

Project: House 1 in Penafiel
Location: Penafiel, Portugal
Date: 2005… (in construction)
Architecture: Claudio Vilarinho (except some details and materials – client responsibility)
Engineering: Apótema – Gabinete de Projectos Eléctricos, Rita & Gás, Lda. + Futureng, Lda. + Objecto, Engenharia e Construção Lda.
Builder: Objecto, Engenharia e Construção Lda. + Others