Holiday Home in Esposende by Atelierdacosta
Experience the elegance of modern Portuguese architecture at the ‘Holiday Home in Esposende.’ Situated in the serene town of Esposende, Portugal, this two-story holiday house masterfully merges with its natural surroundings. Designed by the acclaimed Atelierdacosta in 2019, the house utilizes a 10x10m square plan, assuring an optimal balance of personal and shared spaces. Its design nods to the traditional while incorporating advanced architectural concepts.
With stunning views, clever use of natural materials, and an appreciation for community connections, this holiday home redefines the quintessential vacation experience.
About Holiday Home
Maximizing Space with a Two-Story Home
To preserve as much land as possible, our design proposes a two-story house. The simplicity of this concept allows for different construction elements to converge seamlessly in its assembly. We opted for a square plan, spanning 10×10 meters (32.8×32.8 feet), to fully capture the quadrants of the surrounding landscape. This strategy caters to the solar orientation and provides a breathtaking view of the vast northern woods.
Aligning Architecture with the Landscape
Our square design connects to the only straight boundary wall of the land via a small car porch. This western wall, perfectly aligned North-South, is the only one facing a neighbor. Unlike other holiday homes that might be indifferent to their permanent neighbors, ours fosters a friendly relationship. Our square sits at an equal lateral distance from the wall as the neighbor’s house, moving only in the opposite direction on a North-South axis. This arrangement creates a large leisure space to the south, optimizing agricultural production on the northern side.
Due to poor soil drainage and frequent flooding, we’re employing concrete foundations. Attention to detail is paramount, especially when considering the necessary carpentry and selection of woods.
Innovative Design for Social Spaces
The ground floor, encircled by a solid perimeter, reserves space for social activities, extending outdoors. We utilize “social cement”, which is durable concrete, framed by 12 cm (4.7 inch) wooden boards. These foundations rise up to the exterior fence height. Above this concrete layer sits an ephemeral space for overnight stays, adding contrast to the heavy square foundation.
Wooden boards on the ground floor align horizontally, symbolizing the construction process. However, the upper floor features vertical boards, emphasizing the contrasting construction methods between concrete and wood.
Functional Spaces and Childhood Dreams
The ground floor houses functional spaces, including the kitchen, laundry, and bathroom. Further organization comes via a strategically placed concrete pillar. This arrangement allows for an extended interior solarium to the south, while to the north, a living area and a dining room project from a bow window.
Children can explore their desire for a protected connection with the outdoors through a long panel of windows. A carefully designed threshold/porch, featuring an 8-meter (26.2 feet) glass opening, ensures that the occupants remain sheltered from the often-uncomfortable wind in Gemeses.
Strategic Use of Threshold and Upstairs Space
Between the southern threshold and the northern bow window, an access staircase to the upper floor projects onto the land. The upper floor features three bedrooms, two for children or guests. These rooms share a bathroom and a southern-facing balcony.
The access space to the bedrooms, reachable via the stairs, is a corridor running from east to west. Contrasting the South/North orientation of the ground floor, this passage offers extra space that can function as a leisure area or a more private workspace. This solution maintains the communal feel of the ground floor while also providing a private retreat.
Photography courtesy of Atelierdacosta
- by Matt Watts
