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bi-housing

In the old part of Coimbra city, Portugal, an old house follows, leaving a gap on the medieval grid and on the global image of the street façade. This exercise goal was to design a contemporary building with two “symmetrical” family houses, respecting the pre-existing buildings and returning the unity to the street façade. This project is mainly based on the idea of “depuration”, in open and clean spaces and views, opposing to the claustrophobic surroundings: a narrow road on the front, houses on both sides, and a 17 meters wall on the back. The housing is pulled to the street façade level creating a garden on the back, and so leaving as much open area as possible. The glass windows/ walls permit a depurated view from the inside to the exterior (the view of the habitant crosses all the house). Simultaneously, the houses are organised in a cross scheme, in order to balance the site different dimensions and so achieve a more equivalent area.