The Fonte Boa House is a single family house designed in a rural estate in Fartosa, Fonte Boa, in the centre of Portugal. The small estate, with a vineyard and[...]

© José Campos
The Fonte Boa House is a single family house designed in a rural estate in Fartosa, Fonte Boa, in the centre of Portugal. The small estate, with a vineyard and olive grove, is located in the Rabaçal valley, confined by the Jerumelo, Sicó and Espinhal mountains. This expressive valley’s landscape, which was once occupied by a roman villa (around IV BC), is now mainly characterized by small plants and big olive trees.
The house is located in the west side of the estate, protected from the main road, taking advantage of the best sun exposure, the surrounding trees and the views over the valley. The accurate position of the house was set so that there wouldn’t be major changes in the terrain, maintaining the existing slope and preserving all the existing trees. © José Campos
© José Campos
Reinterpreting the traditional single family housing typology, the house is a two storey rectangular volume with a zinc pitched roof, whose volume detaches itself from the slope with a concrete basement (occupied by a small wine cellar). From the street, the entrance is made through an opening in the stonewall that limits the south part of the site. The open garage, built below the terrain level, is enclosed by concrete walls, by the semi-underground concrete box that hosts the laundry room, and by ...