WITH THE COLOURS OF THE NATURE

Gon Alo Bonniz

Words by Laura Ragazzola

IN A RURAL AREA OF PORTUGAL, A CONTEMPORARY HOUSE BLENDS INTO THE LANDSCAPE THANKS TO A CAREFUL CHOICE OF SHAPES AND MATERIALS

Aperfect combination of wood and concrete, designed to integrate with the surrounding countryside, is the key feature of the FdP house, an impressive residence that stands in a dominant position on an isolated area of the Alto Alentejo, an inland region of Portugal.

“This project has been strongly inspired by its location”, explains its author, the architect Gonçalo Bonniz, who is native of the region. “The morphology of the land, the solar orientation and stunning views, all acted as guiding elements to the design.”

With the intention of adapting the house to the site with minimal disruption, Bonniz created a curved building, a sort of arc with the common areas - the living room, the kitchen and the dining room - at the centre, distributed in a transparent and open space, while the sleeping areas are located in the two wings. However, in order to further integrate the house into the landscape, a careful selection of materials and colours was needed. In fact, a chromatic integration “was a major factor in achieving the natural blending of the house into this rural landscape, which is marked by the existence of multicoloured slate, grey and brown”, explains the architect.

The choice to match a concrete with grey pigment with a specific dark brown wood was successful to achieve the right chromatic connection. The wood (Kebony Clear, a low-maintenance and sustainably-sourced material) has become the hallmark of the house, together with the large windows, which insulate interiors from the arid climate of the Alentejo and blur the boundaries between inside and outside.

According to the manufacturer, the wooden surfaces will not require any further surface treatment or maintenance and, over time, will acquire a beautiful silver-grey patina when exposed to the elements, allowing it to further blend with the reinforced concrete used in the building.

The same wood was also chosen for a large part of the furniture in the house, including the kitchen area, as well as for the wardrobes and mobility areas, with doors of more than 3 meters tall. These complementary features, with their sober and minimalist style, create a quiet and relaxing space in harmony with its stunning, natural, and remote location. H

ABOVE: A detail of the façade, where large windows alternate with a wooden cladding. BELOW: The large swimming pool is flanked by an equally large deck for relax and sunbathing, made of the same wood as the façade.