House No. 07
A single-storey house folded around a walled garden, built in lime-washed masonry.
Introduction
House No. 07 sits on the shoulder of a hill where the pine line breaks. The plan is a simple ring: living rooms to the south, sleeping rooms to the north, and a walled garden held between them. Every room borrows light twice — once directly, once from the garden wall.
The challenge
The site is narrow, steeply graded and overlooked on two sides. A conventional villa would have spent its budget on retaining walls and its views on the neighbours.
Our approach
We cut a single level into the slope and turned the house inward. The walled garden became the primary room — unroofed, but planned with the same care as the interiors. Openings were placed to frame the garden rather than the boundary.
The outcome
A house that reads as one continuous surface from the lane and opens completely once inside. Thermal mass and cross-ventilation carry the summer without mechanical cooling.
Project details
- Sintra, Portugal
- 2025
- Residential
- 240 m²
- Completed
- Architecture, Interior Design, Furniture & Objects
Gallery
Next project
Stone Courtyard