From a small lot with it’s unique implantation, this project has raised early on a couple of challenges… and along with them, ideas emerged. The box housing deviates from the gable to create a vertical yard (glass box), with a straight ladder connecting all floors, an allusion to the famous stairs of Alfama, running between the all 4 floors walls and linking the various dimensions. This courtyard is the heart of the house, bringing light to the interior, enhancing the main entrance and creating a real exterior/interior relationship.
In terms of material, we chose to polish the rectangular form and give the block the face of a tree, making it one more element of the square, which resulted together with the existing tree and water fountain, in a triad. The program was set up almost automatically, the technical services and garage with direct access from the street, the first floor holding the private area of the house. The second floor is the social area, with a direct connection to the coverage, extending social into outdoors, being the view related to the social side and the private area to both square and Embassy, the setting of a typical Lisbon experience, which is a truly intimate relationship between quarters.
Therefore, this project is in fact a mini lung and an example of sustainability for the city of Lisbon, keeping the principles of a living typical habitat and a relationship with the outside, assuming a revitalizing urban role. Its walls are completely covered with vegetation, creating a vertical garden, filled with around 4500 plants from 25 different Iberian and Mediterranean varieties which occupies 100 square meters.
So, short levels of water consumption are guaranteed as well as little gardening challenges. Different fragrance are spread throughout the 4 floors. For example, in the swimming pool you will have the flavor of saffron, in the bedroom, lavender, in the living-room, rosemary. Implemented in the heart of a busy city, the vertical garden creates an unique link with nature and an unexpected atmosphere.
Architects:
Luís Rebelo de Andrade (http://www.rebelodeandrade.com) Tiago Rebelo de Andrade Manuel Cachão Tojal
