Rui Grazina
Architecture+Design

Private house in Francelos, Vila Nova de Gaia. The project was made between February and July 2005. One storey house with a 340 sqm footprint area, on a 1100 sqm plot. The plot is oriented along the north-south axis, without direct access from any of the adjacent streets.

The project undertakes the shape of a long solid that develops longitudinally, and is punctuated by a series of recesses to allow for sun exposure from south or west. This way we try to offset the limitations of the plot, achieving uniform lighting, and visually protecting the building from its surroundings.

Within this form a structural corridor is formed, along which all the house's key elements are placed, directly related to the two possible points of access: 1. south, a private courtyard that articulates with the adjacent house; 2. in the far north, the main car entrance through the existing gate.