House in Bom Jesus
This large house is composed in a series of broad terraces that extend off a natural knoll.
Each level of the house corresponds to a level of the terracing. The walls are all of board-formed concrete, whether merely a retaining walls in the landscape or a wall of the house itself. The roof of a lower level becomes the earth-covered terrace for the level above. The heavy concrete construction and rough, windowless surfaces give the impression of a low-slung 19th century military fortifications.
Subtle banding is made in the rough surfaces of the exposed concrete through a change in the direction of the boards. Its north side (entry side) has been left almost entirely windowless while the south façade has large banks of glazing, particularly at the living spaces where a continuous wall of glass allowing one to pass between the two dining rooms, the living room, a sitting room and the office. At each wall end there is a pocket door that can be pulled out to meet the exterior glass wall.
Structural consultants: S.G.P.E.
Electrical consultants: Fernando Ramos
Mechanical consultants: Matos Campos
General contractor: Sá Machado & Filhos
