Architects: SIA arquitectura
Area: 882 m²
Year: 2022
Photographs: Francisco Nogueira
Coordination: Ana Cravinho, Inês Cordovil, Sofia Pinto Basto
Collaborators: André Gonçalves, Catarina Brandão, Sofia Rodrigues
Engineering: GWIC
Landscape Design: F|C Arquitectura Paisagista
Quantity Surveyor: Tribato
Construction: Campelo& Campelo
Site Area: 1025m2
City: Oeiras
Country: Portugal
House in Sara Beirão Street, designed by SIA arquitectura, is located in Oeiras on a hillside overlooking the Tagus River estuary. In an area lacking historical context, the design introduces bold gestures to create a new identity. Social spaces are placed on the upper floor to maximize views and privacy, with a floating platform merging indoor and outdoor areas. Inspired by the Gulbenkian Foundation, the house features suspended concrete volumes, blending seamlessly with the garden. The design extends the view to the horizon, aiming to establish the house as a new origin point, fostering growth and celebrating architecture.
The house in Oeiras, situated on a hillside overlooking the Tagus River estuary, is built in a territory with no historical memory, a place where everything is new yet anonymous. In an urban fabric lacking identity, the design emerges from a bold gesture, creating a new sense of place and time.
The initial design gesture was a decisive incision, a foundational act to bring the street and the river-sea into existence. The magnetic field of design was harnessed to establish identity. The house was conceived and constructed with this in mind.
The proximity to the street and the view of the sea from the highest level led to an inverted program, placing the social spaces on the upper floor. A large, heavy floating platform ensures privacy, shielding the communal space from passersby. This elevated, protected living room seamlessly merges indoor and outdoor spaces, creating a terrace suspended between sky and sea.
The design emphasizes detachment from the ground, with massive, suspended volumes offering protection. The proportion of the concrete volumes was inspired by the consoles of the Gulbenkian Foundation, paying tribute to influential architectural sites.
In this suspended state, the house and garden rise, the street recedes, and the river approaches, connecting to a water plane. A horizontal concrete wall breaks the street view and aligns with views of the water and sky. A void in the concrete platform allows the garden to penetrate while maintaining privacy. Eventually, the garden and house will merge into a continuous space.
The view extends to the infinite horizon evoked by the sea, amplifying the place. The design aims to create a fresh start, reestablishing the territory as if seeing it for the first time.
The house aspires to implant itself and become a point of origin, like an artificial reef, fostering life and growth. It celebrates life, people, and the heritage of architecture, providing the impetus to move forward.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: Rua Sara Beirão, Oeiras, Portugal
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
