Casa Zen II | Anabela Macieira

Revival of an old and forgotten gem of land, and an added extension. 

This contemporary house sits on a plot of 5230,00m2. 

The most dominant feature of the landscape is the shaped terraces, framed by old olive, almond and orange trees. Since these trees are beautifully grown, the design was developed with highest consideration for the trees so that they were left undisturbed. 

The shape of the new building was a result of a bioclimatic study and a topographic survey. One of the main priorities when designing was to respect the existing vegetation as it is essential for a good energy performance. 

Due to the solar and wind impact, the north facade is closed and compact to keep out any unwanted cold winds. To the south, the building opens up like a fan thus creating an open living space and allowing direct sunlight to flood the house with natural light. 

The materials that were chosen for the previously undertaken refurbishment of the old farm house, have also been chosen for this contemporary extension. Natural materials including natural stone, clay, wood and green roofs are creating a ZEN ambience. 

Passive Haus principles such as high spec insulation, controlled ventilation and precisely defined orientation of the building have been taken into consideration during the deign process in order to optimise the passive solar gains. The dimension of the openings and the porches were thoroughly calculated to allow the sun to passively heat the house during winter and provide ideal shadow during summer. 

The use of green roofs give continuity to the surrounding vegetation and improve the thermal balance to the interior.