double-height glass frame opens rcr house’s living zones toward portugal’s natural scenery

Visioarq employs an interplay of volumes, textures and materials

Vicente Gouveia of Visioarq Architecture & Planning crafts RCR House, an intimate 400 sqm villa in Central Portugal. Nestled in the serene locale of Anadia, with a backdrop of Serra do Caramulo’s natural scenery, the house encapsulates a nuanced interpretation of modernity, reflecting Portugal’s assimilation of the international style over recent decades. By day, the facade showcases a harmonious interplay of volumes, textures, and materials. Yet, at nighttime, the inner lighting dissolves the connections between the superimposed prisms, surprisingly merging them into an unexpected unity. Photographer Fernando Guerra captures the vibrant living spaces of RCR House.

concrete, aluminum and glass compose RCR House’s exterior

The circulation area, featuring a linear staircase beneath a skylight and benefiting from a double-height ceiling, establishes a visual connection with the surrounding gardens. The design team at Visioarq employs a minimalist palette, incorporating exposed concrete pergolas, excavated porches, lacquered aluminum slats, large sheets of black lacquered matte glass, and folding aluminum shutters. These elements artfully dissolve the boundaries between interior and exterior, utilizing intermediate spaces with varying permeability and light exposure. In this tactful play of architectural elements, invisible frame sliding windows by panoramah! contribute to the aesthetic language of modern tradition that is evident throughout the design.

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project info:

name: RCR House
architect: Visioarq Architecture & Planning | @visioarq

lead designer: Vicente Gouveia

frame manufacturer: panoramah!

location: Anadia, Portugal

photography: Fernando Guerra | FG+SG | @fernandogguerra

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