A.J.C. House by José António Lopes da Costa
A.J.C. House is located in Oliveira de Azeméis, Portugal, and was designed by José António Lopes da Costa. The project incorporates a house with differentiated spaces creating a strong relationship with the outside in the social areas, with the patios and gardens. The openings sometimes tear through the walls, allowing the whole complex to create differentiated living areas. The project was completed in 2022.
Irregular Triangular Plot with a Two-Level Topography
The house is located on an irregular triangular plot of land with a topography consisting of two levels at different heights. It is on the first, higher level, next to the street, that the house is located. According to the owners’ wishes, it has two separate floors connected by stairs, double-height ceilings and mezzanines.
Access and Generous Hall
The house is accessed from the north, where the slope of the street meets the level of the land. From here, through a covered area, you access the garage and the front door. Once inside, a generous hall ensures the distribution of the various spaces in the house.
Living Spaces on the Ground Floor
To the east, the garage, laundry and storage areas and to the west, the living and dining room, the kitchen and a playroom and study space, which supported by a bathroom that serves this entire floor, can also be used as a bedroom for friends. The living room has double-height ceiling and communicates with a small gallery/office space on the upper floor. The kitchen, on the other hand, can be opened up completely to the living room through sliding doors.
Outdoor Connection in the Social Areas
Both the kitchen and the living room open fully to the south, to the patio and the pool, and in the case of the living room, also to the west, allowing you to enjoy the sunset. The playroom, which also opens out to the west, connects to the living room via a large sliding door, allowing for better interconnection of these spaces, if necessary.
Master Suite on the Upper Floor
On the upper floor, there are two south-facing bedrooms, supported by a large sliding door. On the upper floor, there are two south-facing bedrooms, supported by a shared bathroom, the master suite, comprising a dressing room, bathroom and bedroom that opens onto a private balcony to the west, and the office that overlooks the double-height living room. A generous terrace to the east connects with the long balcony to the south that serves the two bedrooms.
Material Choices for a Timeless Design
The granite foundation to the north, the painted plaster and the wood panelling differentiate the floors, accentuated by the horizontal markings of the slabs and balconies. The openings sometimes tear through the walls, opening up to the outside spaces, and sometimes constitute gaps that look out over the landscape. The choice of materials was based on durability and low maintenance, in order to ensure that the building would age well.
Designed for Privacy and Interconnectedness
The project endeavoured to create differentiated spaces that would relate both to the outside and to each other through communicating areas. Therefore, care was taken to create privacy on the bedrooms floor, visual recollection in the service areas and, above all, to create a strong relationship with the outside in the social areas, with the patios and gardens, thus allowing the whole complex to create differentiated living areas.
Photography courtesy of José António Lopes da Costa
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