Porto, PT
Considering the roughness and remoteness of this plot, it would be difficult (and extremely expensive) to assemble construction yards for a traditional building. Thus, in this case, resorting to prefabricated structures was not just a choice but the only efficient option we had to simplify the building process within such conditions.
The initial commission was to distribute several tourist rooms over the terrain. However, we proposed small houses — not just hotel rooms — so that some of them would be able to work as full-time houses rather than tourism units. By mixing these two different programs (tourism and housing), we guarantee that this complex will not have a seasonal occupation, being inhabited throughout the year and not just during the vacation period. This multifunctional approach promotes the intensity of this complex’s occupation, therefore fostering its frequent maintenance and improving the security of this area. This project was an opportunity to make new experiences within the Gomos building system: in each house, all the technical installations (water, electricity, and climatization) were concentrated in just one module and extended to the other models externally. This procedure was standardly repeated throughout the whole project, accelerating its production and assembly process.
Status: Built
Location: Paradinha, Arouca - Portugal
Firm Role: Architect
Additional Credits: Team:
Project Leader - Samuel Gonçalves
Architects - Inês Vieira Rodrigues, João Meira, Stelios Polyviou
Engineering: FTS, Technical Solutions
Prefabrication and Assembly: Farcimar, Soluções em Pré-Fabricados de Betão