Experimental

In the suburbs of Leiria, two semi-detached houses are set on a markedly sloped site, adopting a pragmatic solution that addresses the topography with efficiency. The base of each house consists of a solid ground floor, occupied by a high-ceilinged garage that overcomes the level difference and ensures direct access from the street.

Above this base lies the main living floor, organised through a layout that combines the rationality of a grid-based plan with a freer, more entangled circulation system. This upper level allows for full spatial traversal, promoting flexibility of use and adaptability over time. Natural light is ever-present, supported by openings on opposite façades and strategic shifts in the building envelope.

The construction is durable and honest, based on robust, long-lasting materials such as concrete and brick. Each house mirrors the other, reinforcing a sense of symmetry and continuity, while allowing for internal variation in patterns of occupation. The final image is that of two compact volumes, structurally precise, embedded in the terrain with a sense of domestic density — resilient to time and change.