House in Moledo by Eduardo Souto de Moura

DATE

17.01.2024

Near the mouth of the Miño River, on the other side of the Spanish border, is located Moledo do Minho, a picturesque Portuguese town on the coast. Here a family home is built on an old uneven agricultural land, enjoying exceptional views of the Atlantic.

The design of the project focuses on adapting to the inclination of the land, integrating into the existing terraces. This strategy, similar to that used in the House in Baião (1990-1993), faces the additional challenge of the narrow, low steps between terraces. The initial solution was to restructure the slope to create larger terraces, supported by stone walls. The house is located on one of these terraces, with two parallel glass walls that house its structure, resulting in two different facades: one facing the sea, aligned with the stone wall, and the other towards an irregular patio formed by the excavation. .

The interior design of the house adjusts to these geographical conditions. The centrally located living room enjoys views across both facades. The kitchen extends towards a service patio, while the opposite bedrooms face the sea, with a rear corridor offering stunning views of the rocky landscape. The diversity of the facades is also reflected in the materials, with wooden carpentry towards the sea and metal on the back.

However, the flat roof is the most prominent element of the design. Conceived as an independent component, it rests on the terrace walls as a ‘lid’, visible from the top of the hill. It is composed of a reinforced concrete slab, covered by a waterproofing, thermal insulating layer and gravel. Functional elements such as chimneys and equipment are arranged on it, finished in stainless steel. This structure not only preserves the original topography, but also integrates the house into the landscape, more as an intervention in the environment than as an isolated object.