HOUSE NM | Pedro Fernandes Santos

The housing is located in the town of Povoa de Varzim, in the city center, with strong traits of fishing, considered one of the largest fishing colonies in the country and whose houses reflected for many years this condition: 8 meters wide houses, splited in two when the family increased number.

The client, a native of Povoa de Varzim, grew up in this house and moved to Lisbon for professional reasons. Currently divided between Lisbon - work, and Povoa de Varzim - rest.

The proposal aims to re-use the existing structure for a single family, promoting the improvement of housing construction and infrastructure conditions. The lack of fluidity of space and natural light are fundamental premises for the new approach to the project.

The project was seen as a long, narrow mass which is excavated and pinched to ensure natural light and promote the direct relationship of housing with the diversity of outdoor spaces: the paved recreation area, recreation area in grass and a small vegetable garden urban that includes a mini-greenhouse.

This mass is coated with a skin in bush-hammered white marble (enhancing the thermal component) and window frames / white aluminum panels on the facades and wrought flat white tile on the roof. This is a markedly white volume and punctuated by the pine wood at the entrance, on the terrace guard, the pergola and the garden beds. Coverage is defined by a set of four inclined planes, and two of the plans have focused orientation to the east-south-west quadrant. These two plans have three direct natural light leaks into the room: toilets Floor 1 and circulation area of ​​housing. The solar panel is located on the second level facing the south and no visibility for those who wander the streets.

Inside the room there was the intention of promoting white, ensuring greater reflection of natural light and consequently a greater visual range of spaces.

As for the spatial organization, the ground floor corresponds to the social area par excellence, fluid in your circulation, and housing a space to receive visitors at the entrance, toilet, living and dining room, kitchen with direct communication to the rooms, laundry and multifunctional space to house a quarter or support the activities carried out abroad. On the 1st floor, a wooden staircase leads a relieved and frankly lit space through go on the roof. This space distributes affixed to two rooms have a private toilet.

·         architecture: Pedro Fernandes Santos arquitectura

·         localization: Rua Elias Garcia 131, Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal

·         construction area: 174 m2

·         ground area: 279 m2

·         fotography: Pedro Fernandes Santos

·         builder company: Dionisio Silva Andrade, construções unipessoal