vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal
the specific natural landscape of the estate of arrifoias works in conjunction with the elegantly reductive architecture of  vitor vilhena in ‘the house in odemira’. the richness of the topography lies in it’s contained flatness, a feature that the portuguese architect seeks to capture with the stark white planes of the building. the L-shaped plan serves to maximize the building’s exposure to the south-light and sun-soaked mountainous views. vilhena values, above all, a ‘privileged contemplation of the landscape’ by carefully developing the volumes of space according site and program. these planar volumes follow the subtle lines in the landscape while creating their own complexity with panoramic cut outs.

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal
approach to the house, greeted by the swimming pool
image © joao morgado | all images courtesy of vitor vilhena

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal
rear elevation
image © joao morgado

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal
exterior patio
image © joao morgado

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal
at night, the cut outs dot the landscape with warm yellow squares
image © joao morgado

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal
the entry is carefully carved into the plane, keeping with the overall language of the built form
image © joao morgado

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal
situated on a sloping site that mimics the lines on the landscape
image © joao morgado

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal
solid and void are balanced according to program and ideal views of the site
image © joao morgado

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal
image © joao morgado

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal
image © joao morgado

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal
a total respect for the site’s visual resources was the objective of the project
image © joao morgado

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal
image © joao morgado

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal
traditional tile floors keep the house cool in the summer
image © joao morgado

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal
framed views of the landscape
image © joao morgado

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal
image © joao morgado

 vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal

site plan

 

 

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal

floor plan

 

 

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal

section

 

 

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal

section

 

 

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal

section

 

 

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal

elevation

 

 

vitor vilhena: house in odemira, portugal

elevation