Macau Valley | Hori - zonte

The project emerges from a close reading of the site’s topography and the surrounding urban fabric.

The two definingstreets that surround the plot have a difference of three floors between the higherand lower points. Rather than treating the slope as a limitation, the building integrates it as a definingfeature. Its base expands to merge with the terrain, minimising e
xcavation and anchoring the project into the landscape. From there, the volume terraces upwards, eventually resolving into a clean rectangular profile in line with city guidelines and neighbouring buildings. This approach ensures bothcontextual continuity and a distinctive architectural identity.

The terraced form serves multiple purposes. Compared to the predicted rectangular box, it maximises saleable area while potentiating apartments with generous daylight, natural ventilation, and expansive views. Ou tdoor spaces become a defining element: larger terraces at the lower levels connect strongly with the ground, while slimmer balconies higher up establish a balanced hierarchy, redistributing value across the building instead of concentrating it at the top.

This stepped configuration also generates a vertical landscape. Greenery climbs from street level tothe higher floors, softening the façade and extending nature into every apartment. The overlappingbalconies allow subtle visual connections between dwellings, creating opportunities for neighbourly interaction, a sense of collective identity, community feeling and engagement.
Inside, the apartments are designed to be spacious, within the current downsizing market needs, with abundant natural light and high thermal, acoustic, and visual comfort standards. Careful material selection enhances this quality, with refined finishes and warm details such as timber entrance halls that lend character and warmth to the shared areas.

The project transforms the site's complexity into an opportunity to create efficient, bright homes withgenerous outdoor spaces, combining sustainability, quality of life, and urban integration.

Developed for JMSA, it reflects a contemporary vision of residential living conceived for the present and the future.

Main Architect: André Sanches Pinto

Photography: Ivo Tavares