Santiago Santiago de Riba-UI, Macinhata da Seixa, OA
Year: 2016 - 2024
Gross Floor Area: 590 m²
Location: Oliveira de Azeméis, União das Freguesias de Oliveira de Azeméis,

Located in Santiago de Riba, this 590 m² single-family residence is conceived as an exercise in balance between protection and openness. The project explores the tension between solidity and transparency, using a clear architectural language of clean lines and generous glazing to articulate the relationship between interior life and the surrounding garden.

The house develops longitudinally, responding directly to the geometry of the site. This linearity becomes the structuring principle of the design, organizing space while reinforcing visual continuity and depth. The contrast between a more opaque, protective eastern façade in concrete wall and a fully glazed western glass facade establishes a deliberate duality: enclosure toward the neighborhood, openness toward the garden. Through this strategy, privacy and exposure, shade and light, solidity and void are carefully negotiated.

Large glazed surfaces frame the exterior as an extension of domestic space, dissolving physical boundaries and enhancing passive solar performance. The interplay between built mass and transparency creates a dynamic rhythm along the façades, while strengthening environmental responsiveness and spatial fluidity.

Materially, the project emphasizes restraint and durability. Concrete and glass are combined with refined finishes to express a contemporary yet timeless identity. More than a mere distribution of functions, the house is defined by its conceptual clarity — a coherent architectural statement where form, light, and landscape operate as an integrated whole.