Architecture photographer Fernando Guerra has shared with us his recent work on a fantastic country house designed and constructed by architects Ana Cravino and Inês Cordovil (founding members of Lisbon-based SIA Arquitectura Studio) in collaboration with acclaimed Portuguese architect Manuel Aires Mateus (of the award-winning Aires Mateus Studio). Situated near the small town of Melides, the residence is set atop a hill overlooking the Quinta da Fontinha (Fontinha Estate), and was conceived as a lookout or observation post – in a way reminiscent of the mansions built in medieval times by landlords and princes throughout the Mediterranean region to oversee their vast agricultural estates.
Built around a central terrace looking out towards the Atlantic, the house includes three bedrooms, a kitchen with adjoined living room area, and a swimming pool, while an additional living room and two storage areas occupy the lower floor. The house was designed as one seamless space, with the central terrace functioning as a common area out to which all rooms have an opening – another feature that is typical of traditional Mediterranean houses. In a contemporary twist characteristic of the work of Aires Mateus, the building’s four main volumes are trapezoidal in shape which subtly distorts their proportion, making them look bigger and longer than they actually are.
photos © Fernando Guerra, FG+SG Architectural Photography.
Source: Yatzer.com
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