The plot, with a deeply rural atmosphere located in Outeiro, next to the town of Melgaço, is characterised by a breathtaking view over the Minho river valley. It is of considerable size, with a steep slope down to the estuary to the south. Of this vast area, only a small triangular portion at the northern tip of the plot, with building capacity, defined the geometry of the volume to be constructed, as well as its dimensions and living area. A two-storey triangular structure proved inevitable, with the longest side facing south and all domestic functions oriented towards the landscape (living room and kitchen on the ground floor, bedrooms on the first floor).

For legal reasons related to the proximity to the plot boundaries, the remaining sides of the figure became blind party walls (with small vents and openings for secondary areas, bathrooms, and laundry). To the north, the tip of the triangle is marked by a cut to accommodate the entrance porch and by the gargoyle for roof drainage. The roof, subtly inclined in a single direction, increases the ceiling height of the bedrooms toward the best view.

To protect the pan-de-verre of the south façade (in fact, this is a house with a single-façade, defined by the size of the beams supporting the largest span), two horizontal overhangs extend across the entire width of the openings, creating the necessary shade to ensure solar comfort and protect the domestic space from the harsh summer heat. Outside, a deck with the same shape and dimensions as the interior space (a triangle) creates a transitional plane between the artificiality of the building and the natural surroundings.

An outdoor living room to spend warm summer evenings in the Minho countryside, whose familiarity and elegance, reminiscent of an aristocratic and mystical past, was not indifferent to the author. The frugality of the exterior contrasts with the nobility of the finishes that define the interior spaces, Estremoz marble stones and various woods, in a Loosian logic or a Miesian order, shaping spatial quality through the timelessness of the material.

project: house in melgaço II 
location: outeiro, melgaço, portugal 
date: 2021 - 2026 
building area: 180 m2 
architecture: nuno brandão costa 
collaborators: bianca schiavoni, francisco ascensão, maria pathé

structural engineer: pedro costa pereira (a3r) 
landscape design: rita guedes 
hydraulic engineer: miguel vale (abprojectos) 
electrical and security engineer: maria da luz santiago, raúl serafim (rs associados) 
mechanical engineer: raul bessa (get) 
model photographs: francisco ascensão 
photographs: andré cepeda