V House by João Tiago Aguiar
V House sets its stance in Portugal with a confident V-shaped plan and a stone skin that reads as one continuous body. Designed by João Tiago Aguiar, the house turns south to a garden and long, low pool while folding around a courtyard pierced by a tree. It’s a house, yes, but also a clear sequence of rooms and thresholds that makes daily life feel measured and connected.
Stone carries across floors, walls, and roof, catching sun and shadow as the day moves. A long pool traces the south edge like a quiet underline, holding the garden in view.
This is a house organized by sequence and orientation. In Portugal, for a family life set close to the landscape, João Tiago Aguiar arranges rectilinear volumes in a V that shields north winds while opening to the south. The plan edits movement into clear paths—across a bridge, into a courtyard, out to a gallery—so rooms connect without fuss.
Approach and Entry
Arrival happens sideways. From the east, a pedestrian path crosses a bridge over the garage ramp, introducing a gentle lift before the door. A stone-clad parking portico sits to the left, its roof pierced by a tree that threads exterior to interior and sets the pace of the walk. Winds stay to the north; the entrance reads sheltered and deliberate.
Courtyard as Pivot
Inside, a hall opens to a central courtyard anchored by a single tree. Light pours down and slides across stone, tying both wings of the V without doors or fanfare. Large glass cuts the monolith where needed, while subtle stone louvres temper views at the pool edge and the eastern suite frontage (privacy without heaviness). The courtyard holds the plan together and steadies the rhythm of movement.
Living Wing Sequence
To the west, the social rooms read as a run of connected settings. A freestanding kitchen block stands apart yet stays in reach of dining and living, its flanks concealing a stair down, a powder room, and a pantry. The fireplace sits between table and lounge to mark the hinge—one flame, two moods—and keeps sightlines unbroken. Across the east side, four suites line a naturally lit corridor, each also opening to a covered gallery that leads to the southern garden.
Upper and Lower Realms
Above, the master suite takes a quiet perch. An office, walk-in closet, and bathroom fold into a single realm, with a long terrace facing golf greens, pine, and sea. Below, the garage stays isolated to the east while service and leisure rooms—technical areas, laundry, gym, cinema, and a guest room—gather along the north. Three light wells draw soft daylight into these rooms, keeping the sequence calm and legible.
Garden and Pool Edge
South of the stone, a narrow pool runs almost the full length. It becomes a datum line for walking, pausing, and looking back at the volumes. Lush, tropical-leaning planting builds a green privacy layer, while small outbuildings, clad in the same stone, tuck services away to preserve the reading of the main form.
Stone ties every move. Daylight does the rest, sliding through louvres, washing the courtyard, and glancing off water. The house settles into its routines—clear routes, quiet rooms, and long views—without strain.
Photography by Francisco Nogueira
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