PROD Architecture + Design strikes a natural balance in Portugal with a home of four parts
![This cluster of structures in Portugal's Penafiel make up House of Four, the latest residential offering by local practice PROD Architecture + Design](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Hje8m5skSQ6GyscY85qdnW-415-80.jpg)
This elegant family of structures, located on the outskirts of Penafiel, just a few kilometres east of Porto, is House of Four, PROD Architecture + Design's latest residential addition to the town's growing portfolio of contemporary architecture.
As its name suggests, this private holiday home is made of four distinct units - fittingly, for a family of four - which are linked together by a central glazed area. The architects, based in the northern Portuguese city of Viana do Castelo, worked on a design that engages the site's surroundings as well as creates an interesting experience inside. So, while being contemporary in their materials, these volumes were designed to echo the area's traditional brick houses in shape.
Take an interactive tour of House of Four
Five plane trees trace the plot's edge to the north. The building sits on a granite plinth that elevates it just enough to make the most of the long views of the city and the nature around it. The consistent use of materials on the façades (wood cladding and a granite strip) lends a sense of unity to a structure whose four wings differ in orientation, height, and openings.
Positioned for optimal sun orientation, views, and layout arrangement, the house provides privacy and morning sun to three en-suite bedrooms. At the same time, the transparent southwest-facing elevations bring the outside into the home's more social areas. In an attempt to balance the hilly nature of the surrounding area, the architects sought to create a single, uninterrupted space between the living room, terrace and garden, opening up towards the views beyond.
The exterior is clad in Scandinavian pinewood treated so as to acquire a grey tint as it weathers. Inside, the architects combined white-painted pinewood with Brazilian sucupira wood. White Portuguese marble was chosen for the bathrooms, adding a touch of luxury.
By experimenting with different types of wood, PROD directors Paulo Carvalho and Susana Correia made use of a material that isn't traditionally used in Portugal; giving an unexpected twist to a design that references local architecture. Responding to the client's brief, House of Four creates a dialogue with both neighbouring houses and the surrounding area, making for a striking and unique holiday home.
A vacation home for a family of four, the house is formed by four separate structures united by a glazed central core
The consistent use of wood and granite on the façades lends a sense of unity to a structure whose four wings differ in size, shape and orientation
The house opens up towards the southwest, making the most of the site's best views. It is also where the more social areas are placed
In an attempt to balance the region's hilly nature, the architects sought to create clear, uninterrupted views out
At the same time, the design provides privacy to the three bedrooms...
...which are all accompanied by luxurious en-suite bathrooms in white Portuguese marble
It was important for the owners that the house created a dialogue with its surroundings
The house's Scandinavian pinewood cladding will weather in time, slowly acquiring a soft grey tint
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
-
Commune’s sustainable personal care products look ‘quite unlike anything else’
Commune’s Somerset-made products stand out in the sustainable skincare crowd. Madeleine Rothery speaks with the brand’s co-founders Kate Neal and Rémi Paringaux
By Madeleine Rothery Published
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
City Cortex celebrates cork’s versatility with public installations in Lisbon
City Cortex, an urban project in Lisbon developed by Amorim, celebrates cork as a sustainable material with installations by Gabriel Calatrava, Leong Leong, Yves Behar and more
By Nana Ama Owusu-Ansah Published
-
Casa e a Pedra is a Porto home emerging from a rocky context
Casa e a Pedra by architect François Leite is an urban residential reinvention in Porto, Portugal
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Álvaro Siza Wing expands archive and exhibition space in Porto’s Museu Serralves
Álvaro Siza returns to Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art in Porto, crafting his namesake new wing that just opened to the public
By Josh Fenton Published
-
This Portuguese Pavilion in the Garden is a dramatic space for entertaining
Pavilion in the Garden by Spaceworkers is an event space in Portugal, opening up to its leafy setting through dramatic, minimalist architecture
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Casa M is a climate-sensitive home in Portugal’s Algarve
Casa M, an urban home in the Algarve, makes the most of local techniques and the region’s climate in a design by its owners, Portuguese architects A-Lab Architecture
By Stacy Suaya Published
-
This coastal Comporta home relaxes into its breezy context
Inspired by wild beaches, a Comporta home by dEMM arquitectura is designed to provide a slice of secluded paradise
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Faro Modernism Weekend 2023: this year’s can’t-miss additions
Faro Modernism Weekend 2023 launches, offering access to lesser known gems of the region and celebrating five entirely new entries to its programme
By Stacy Suaya Published
-
Blackbird is a luxurious Algarve home all about craft, drama and 'barefoot luxury'
Blackbird by Odos Architects is a luxurious, architectural home in Portugal's Algarve region - and it marks the launch of the studio's developer sister brand, Maroochy
By Ellie Stathaki Published