Contemporary language and materials, with a focus on volumes of white lacquered sheets and big glass openings, distinctively defined the expansion, setting it apart from the original residence. The intervention fragments into volumes and planes, following the existing terrain, to create outdoor spaces with a privileged view and a strong, intimate connection between the exterior and the interior.
A Japanese garden and an indoor pool are some of the details that enhance the desired level of enjoyment. The exterior emerges from the intersection of the pre‑existing villa with new volumes, featuring pure volumetric shapes dematerialized by recessed planes, creating a play of contrasts between light/dark, projections/recesses, and light/shadow, along the terrain that serves as a scenic space for the 12th-century city: Coimbra.
The project won ex æquo the Diogo de Castilho Municipal Prize 2023 and was nominated for the ArchDaily 2023 Building of the Year Awards.
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