HOUSE IN SANTIAGO DO CACÉM
The Santiago do Cacém house is a project born from the client’s desire to build a contemporary home on their Alentejo estate, on a plot of land with more than 9 hectares, located in Tanganheira, in the parish of São Bartolomeu da Serra.
The positioning of the house takes advantage of the highest point of the natural topography of the land — an elevated area with low wildfire risk — chosen for its favourable visibility and relationship with two types of landscape: the nearby natural surroundings, characterised by forest and cork oak woodland, and the distant landscape that defines the horizon line. Above all, the design prioritises the scenery and the rural context in which it is set.
The architectural language of the project seeks simplicity in its volumetric composition. The search for perspective viewpoints towards the exterior from the various interior spaces of the house became a key design principle. The vertical openings aim to create a subtle boundary between inside and outside, celebrating both the views and the experience of outdoor living.
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OF THE HOUSE IN SANTIAGO DO CACÉM
The Santiago do Cacém house is developed entirely on a single floor, with 300 m² dedicated to the living areas, organised into two wings. One wing contains the private area of the house, including a master bedroom suite with walk-in wardrobe and en-suite bathroom, one additional suite, three bedrooms, a shared bathroom supporting the bedrooms, while the other wing contains the social area, with an open-plan living room, dining room and kitchen, as well as a guest bathroom and laundry room.
The L-shaped layout creates a strong relationship with the nearby outdoor spaces while simultaneously establishing a separation between the private and social areas.
The social area of the house — living spaces and kitchen — is highly connected to the outdoors through sliding glass panels that provide easy access to the exterior. This open-plan interior space is further enhanced by a central fireplace, which separates and defines the two living areas while maintaining visual connection with the exterior and allowing natural light to flow throughout.
The orientation of the Santiago do Cacém house takes full advantage of solar exposure, ensuring that none of the façades face directly north. This allows solar energy to enter throughout the year, improving energy efficiency and temperature control.
OUTDOOR SPACES IN A RURAL SETTING
The house benefits from generous and varied outdoor spaces, including landscaped gardens, shaded paved areas beneath porches and pergolas, a swimming pool with surrounding lounge areas, a barbecue and pizza oven area, and a sunken mini amphitheatre with seating areas.
The infinity-edge swimming pool creates the effect of water disappearing seamlessly into the landscape.
The construction of this new house was conditioned by, and designed in response to, forest protection and wildfire prevention requirements. Fuel management zones, access routes, materials, safety distances and other relevant factors were all carefully considered in the development of the Santiago do Cacém house project.
THE DESIGN OF THE ENTRANCE AND GATE
The gate and entrance walls of the property were designed in a simple manner, preserving traditional characteristics that mark the entrance to the estate.
A white wall was chosen in contrast with the earthy tones of the red ecological gravel driveway, while the corten steel gate introduces a patina and earthy shades that blend naturally with the existing surroundings. The contour of the walls and their adaptation to the slope create soft, simplified curved lines.
The mailbox, electrical panels and technical elements blend into the white surface of the wall. The identification of the property, named Herdade Tanganheira, is ensured through cut-out corten steel lettering.
