Casa Testivalet
Antonio Valiente

Testivalet Residence

Q_Arts Arquitetura as Architects

About the place... 

It is a small country house built on a slope of approximately 20 meters. The landscape consists of a natural preserved area due to few interventions on the surroundings of Itaara town.

The most remarkable aspect of the project was the definition of the place of implantation: a flat ground in the middle of a hillside. From the street, little can be seen behind the high walls, due to its location on a lower part.  After going through the gate, there is a long pathway to the house, delineated by the topography. This scenery was the first determinant of the project.

The second was the desire to hide in these surroundings (and not mimic). This evidence of the architecture in relation to the landscape was justified by the references brought by locals, regarding materials, colors, and patterns for the beginning of the creation process. It was fundamental that the plurality of this collage was contemplated in the proposal. 

The house was designed along with hesitations and uncertainties, in a back-and-forth process. A process of co-creation and acknowledgement of the expectations of those who, from the very beginning, favored happiness. Other determinants such as solar orientation and main wind patterns were priorities regarding climate. 

The dimensions of the house were defined from the start. The limits established for the rooms were diluted as huge openings were designed to get a view of nature.  In the internal spaces, nature stood out. 

Regarding the distribution of space, the separation between social and private areas was not well defined. From the beginning, it was settled that these instances should be integrated and formalities regarding this separation were not necessary. It was important to have the living room (a summer and winter), as well as dining room and kitchen in small spaces, however articulated. Therefore, we worked with angles and the opening of the different spaces so to obtain this permeability, keeping, however, the identity of each space.   The recesses that result from this configuration define the idea of a patio veranda.  

The personal spaces have a view of the valley and are protected from the street. The control of solar incidence is done through brises and verandas. 

The study space configures a circulation area and is an extension of the couple’s bedroom. It also gives access to the terrace where the fire place is, serving as an overlook to the surroundings of the property and to nature. 

 

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