Peter House | Carlos Castanheira Architects

Peter House - the one who levitates

If it weren’t for the gravity… I’d be floating. But it’s almost… as if it were floating.

I always – or almost always – start by visiting the site. That’s where it will be, and I need to get a sense of what it will look like.

Gerês is the site, in a way that only Gerês can be.

From above, it overlooks the hillsides and the expanse of water formed by the dam.

The brief – simple, yet interesting – called for a small weekend cottage designed to make the most of the landscape and the unique climate.

There are no plans over there. Unless they’re the result of hard manual labour.

The land is challenging and inspiring. The idea was already there.

The internal layout was designed so that the spaces would open out to the landscape and make the most of both shade and sunshine, depending on the time of year or season.

 On a large balcony, I placed interconnected open and closed structures.

They open or close in the pursuit of privacy, but also of connection.

The sloping roofs define each volume and each interior space.

 We walked around, for the external experience is just as desirable as the internal one. It is necessary and indispensable.

 Hugging the shape of the small pool, the balcony hovers above a Mikado-style pile foundation, by no means a coincidence.

Wood for the structures, plywood for the interiors and copper waterproofing.

The retaining walls will be ccyclopean and will have to wait for the líquene and ageing appearance, that only time can bring...

Carlos Castanheira

Architect:                   

Carlos Castanheira

Office in Portugal:      

CC&CB – Architects, Lda.

Project Coordinator:   

Diana Vasconcelos

Project Team: 

Diana Velho

Susana Oliveira

Nuno Rodrigues

Gil Lima

Rita Saturnino

3D Visualisation:

Germano Vieira

Sara Noronha

Engineering:

Structure:

Paulo Fildalgo

HDP – Gabinete de serviço de projectos, Lda.

Electricity:

Fernando Ferreira

Gatengel – Projectos de Engenharia, Lda.

Hydraulics:

Pedro Nunes

Diâmetro & Cálculo –Engenharia, Lda.

HVAC:

Pedro Coelho Lima

Coelho Lima Engenharia, Lda.

Construction Area:     

200 m2