House in Monsaraz, Alentejo
Aires Mateus 

House in Monsaraz, Alentejo

Aires Mateus 


The great Alqueva Lake, located on the frontier of Extremadura and the Portuguese Alentejo, is the largest artificial lake in Western Europe, with an area of 250 square kilometers and more than 1,160 kilometers of interior coast. Since the inauguration of the dam in the year 2002, the lake is navigable and can hold all sorts of water sports and activities. All this has turned the area into an attractive destination for tourists.

In this vast landscape one can barely see this holiday residence, which is tucked into the terrain using the slope of the hill. It is a construction that tries to go unnoticed and, at the same time, face the vastness of the lake. The first objective is achieved thanks to the green roof that blurs the boundaries of the building, which only unveils the stairs and courtyards. On the other hand, faced with the boundless extents of the lake, the house requires a center: a protected courtyard embracing the water. It uses the terrain to cast a dome that covers the social areas and is the life center of the house: a shaded space overlooking the lake, around which the more public areas of the house are placed. Meanwhile, the bedrooms open onto circular patios clad with white ceramic pieces.  


Obra Work
Casa en Monsaraz House in Monsaraz

Cliente Client
Privado Private

Arquitectos Architects
Aires Mateus / Francisco y Manuel Aires Mateus (socios partners); Inês Cordovil, Helga Constantino (jefes de proyecto project leaders); Humberto Silva, André Passos, Susana Rodrigues, Joana Simões (equipo team)

Consultores Consultants
AFAconsult (ingeniería engineering)

Contratista Contractor
JDS, Manuel Mateus Frazão

Superficie construida Built-up area
174 m²

Fotos Photos
João Guimarães