Casa Afife

North of Viana do Castelo, between the mountains and the sea, Afife boasts a stunning landscape where nature seamlessly intertwines. When the client took me to see the plot they had purchased, I couldn’t help but be amazed by the breathtaking panoramic view of the ocean.

Situated atop the mountain and sheltered from the northern winds, it was immediately clear that the positioning of the house was crucial, as the location itself was the very reason for its construction.

To establish a better relationship with the terrain, the house rests on a platform created by existing stone walls that define the site’s topography—some in ruins, which needed to be rebuilt.

Thanks to its exceptional location at a high elevation, the house, with its simple geometric form, had to be designed as if it were stretched out under the sun, gazing at the sea.

The west-facing façade defines the house’s character, entirely glazed and featuring a cantilevered balcony running its entire length, resembling a lookout point, making the exterior a strong presence from within.

From a restored threshing floor parallel to the house, a swimming pool emerges, seamlessly integrating with the garden and surrounding stone walls.

With a well-defined budget from the outset, this volume, composed of glass and white-painted plaster, creates a dialogue between the present and the past, blending naturally with the landscape.