Project posted by Laura C. Mallonee

House of Four Houses

Year
2014
The architect chose granite for the house’s base, zinc for its roof, and Scandinavian pinewood for cladding—all materials that complement the nearby gray stone building.
The architect chose granite for the house’s base, zinc for its roof, and Scandinavian pinewood for cladding—all materials that complement the nearby gray stone building.
The main entrance is on the house’s south side. It leads to a central hall from which all sections of the home are accessible.
The main entrance is on the house’s south side. It leads to a central hall from which all sections of the home are accessible.
The connecting area between the four houses has an open joisted pine ceiling that offers a masterful transition between the coarse, weathered exterior and the polished rooms—all lined with smooth Sucupira wood and white plaster board. “We wanted to make a clear contrast between the interior surfaces of the house and the corresponding exterior surfaces,” de Carvalho says.
The connecting area between the four houses has an open joisted pine ceiling that offers a masterful transition between the coarse, weathered exterior and the polished rooms—all lined with smooth Sucupira wood and white plaster board. “We wanted to make a clear contrast between the interior surfaces of the house and the corresponding exterior surfaces,” de Carvalho says.
PROD Architecture + Design created a farmhouse in Penafiel, Portugal to fuse the aesthetic of traditional homes in the region with contemporary, floor-to-ceiling windows that respond to the environment. Made up of four distinct structures, the home takes on the shape of an existing gabled-roof structure on the site. To complement the stone building, the home incorporates a series of muted materials including granite for the base, zinc for the roof, and Scandinavian pinewood for cladding.
PROD Architecture + Design created a farmhouse in Penafiel, Portugal to fuse the aesthetic of traditional homes in the region with contemporary, floor-to-ceiling windows that respond to the environment. Made up of four distinct structures, the home takes on the shape of an existing gabled-roof structure on the site. To complement the stone building, the home incorporates a series of muted materials including granite for the base, zinc for the roof, and Scandinavian pinewood for cladding.
The bedrooms are located on the more sheltered east side. They function as private, closed boxes, as opposed to the more open living room and dining areas.
The bedrooms are located on the more sheltered east side. They function as private, closed boxes, as opposed to the more open living room and dining areas.
The bathrooms are lined in luxurious Estremoz marble.
The bathrooms are lined in luxurious Estremoz marble.
Seen from a distance, the farmhouse has a time-honored quality, though it’s still clearly a product of the 21st century.
Seen from a distance, the farmhouse has a time-honored quality, though it’s still clearly a product of the 21st century.

Credits

Architect
PROD Architecture + Design
Paulo Lago de Carvalho
Photographer

From Laura C. Mallonee

PROD Architecture + Design struck a balance between traditional and modern with its latest project. Conflicting desires are a hallmark of many architectural projects, and it’s often what makes them interesting. PROD Architecture + Design’s clients wanted a farmhouse in Penafiel, Portugal, that blended in with the region’s more traditional homes but also had modern, floor-to-ceiling windows that responded to the environment. “The balance between these two conditions was the problem we proposed to solve,” architect Paulo Lago de Carvalho explains. “That's when fragmentation became clear as the right strategy.”