Fala

House Within Three Gestures

House Within Three Gestures
© Francisco Ascensão

House Within Three Gestures

fala

ARCHITECTS
Fala

GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Mribeiro

PROJECT TEAM
Filipe Magalhães, Ana Luisa Soares, Ahmed Belkhodja, Lera Samovich, Ana Lima, Joana Sendas, João Carlos Lopes, Anna Murisasco, Carina Pannatier

ENGINEERING
Paulo Sousa, Mp+pf

PHOTOGRAPHS
francisco Ascensão, Giulietta Margot

AREA
180 M²

SITE AREA
500m2

YEAR
2021

LOCATION
Gondomar, Portugal

CATEGORY
Houses

A corner suburban plot for a one level suburban house. A misshapen parcel dictated a few offsets and alignments, a typical array of bedrooms suggested a grid of sorts, a split of private and public was to be ensured.

House Within Three Gestures
© Francisco Ascensão
House Within Three Gestures
© Francisco Ascensão

Following that, the roof is tilted, the perimeter wall is curved, the main division is broken—the house is played out within three gestures.

Secondary spaces find their ways behind the stepped line, producing a series of exceptions, while a laundry room jumps out of its perimeter and becomes a tower.

The volume is an assemblage of two figures—the tilted half circle is accompanied by a slender spire. The two surfaces of the same color never meet.

House Within Three Gestures
© Francisco Ascensão
House Within Three Gestures
© Giulietta Margot

White, black and blue revolve around the complex form. A pink triangular chimney lands on top of the slanted roof.

The street side displays an even lineup of openings reflecting the grid of rooms behind it.

The curve is punctuated just once allowing for a window in the living space.

House Within Three Gestures
© Francisco Ascensão
House Within Three Gestures
© Francisco Ascensão
House Within Three Gestures
© Francisco Ascensão

On the inside, the palette of materials is concise and orderly. White walls run in between wooden floor and concrete ceiling. The key edges are accented with stripes of dark wood.

Once again, the house is mistaken for a gallery, a shop, or a chapel. The living space results from a series of elaborate intersections. Every surface is accounted for and celebrated.

Grids, orders and exceptions are ensured. A colourful perky volume challenges its banal surroundings. A house is tilted, curved and broken.

House Within Three Gestures
© Francisco Ascensão
House Within Three Gestures
© Francisco Ascensão


House Within Three Gestures
© Francisco Ascensão
House Within Three Gestures
© Francisco Ascensão


House Within Three Gestures
Diagram
House Within Three Gestures
Diagram
House Within Three Gestures
Plan


House Within Three Gestures
Collage
House Within Three Gestures
Collage
House Within Three Gestures
Collage
House Within Three Gestures
Collage
House Within Three Gestures
Site plan


House Within Three Gestures
Diagram
House Within Three Gestures
Diagram
House Within Three Gestures
Diagram
House Within Three Gestures
Diagram

Fala
T +351 913 134612
Fala
Porto, Portugal