Fala atelier completed House with a curved wall

House with a curved wall is the latest project by Fala atelier completed in Porto in 2017. 

The derelict construction was found on an unremarkable neighbourhood, hiding a deep and generous garden; the proud pitched roof distinguished the otherwise trivial architecture. After reseting the construction to a bare structural existence, the inner space was solved with the precise placement of a gently curved wall as a separation between the public and private programs.

The intersection of the existing walls, the sloped roof and the new wall resulted in a complex geometrical form. Through the new wide window, a clear tension towards the picturesque garden was created. The main space, loosely populated by furniture, showcases four blue doors (leading to the small lobby, bedroom, bathroom or attic), a circular opening, various plants and an elegant metal pole that symbolically marks the highest point of the otherwise humble construction.

A selected number of elements – doors, kitchen and furniture – were painted in strong colours contrasting with the general abstract whiteness of the room.

The wall facing the street was plastered and the entrance door painted in heavy salmon-pink; the greenish-blue gate, when closed, completes the deconstructed composition. A thin metal surface extends over the white volume as if made of paper: the light metal roof becomes the prominent urban element defining the image of the house, its houseness. While the interiors form a unity characterised by whiteness and precision, the outside expression is that of a loose juxtaposition of constructive elements.

Ultimately the house is a rather conventional building, but unusually vivid.

Plans

Facts & Credits
Project title    House with a curved wall
Architecture   Fala Atelier
Location Porto
Year    2016-17
design: september – december 2016
construction: april – november 2017
Status   Private commission
Project team   filipe magalhães, ana luisa soares, ahmed belkhodja, julia andreychenko, rute peixoto, lera samovich, elisa sassi, paulo sousa Landscape architect  João magalhães
Client  Private
Contractor      Maxrenova lda
Photography  Ricardo loureiro