The program of the house designed by Bruno Dias Arquitectura is arranged on two floors, always protected from the public road. Thanks to interior patios and a set of large openings to the northeast, on the ground floor all the rooms of the house enjoy different sources of natural light, while in the basement there are other secondary spaces and storage in the house.
The ground floor benefits from the basement, which functions as an element capable of transmitting the sensation of being a unique and singular piece that does not touch the ground. The house is characterized by the elegance of the white color present throughout the interior and exterior, accompanied by details with wood and stone, taking as a reference the elements that we find in the surrounding terrain.
Moita Santa House by Bruno Dias Arquitectura. Photograph by Hugo Santos Silva.
Project description by Bruno Dias Arquitectura
Located in Santiago da Guarda, Leiria, Casa Moita Santa is built in a setting characterized by the presence of oak trees and the occasional presence of piles of stones on the site. The concept of the house was born not only in response to the location, but also to the needs of the clients: to offer privacy from the public highway and the need to include a basement. In this sense, the main objective was to try to hide the basement from the street. In this way, the first floor benefits from the -1 floor, which functions as an element based on only four structural elements, capable of conveying the feeling of being a unique and singular piece that doesn't touch the ground. In addition, the slabs are conceptually slightly curved, integrated by the alignment of the public road.
Given the proximity of the road network, it was important to develop the house in such a way as to provide the necessary privacy for living inside. In this way, Casa Moita Santa opens up with generous openings to the interior of the property, while maintaining essential openings to the southwest. From a programmatic point of view, the project has been developed on two levels: the ground floor and the first floor. The first floor serves as the living core of the house, housing the social and private spaces such as the kitchen, pantry, living and dining rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, office and suite. Throughout the house, the rooms enjoy natural light from large openings to the northeast and interior courtyards. On the other hand, the -1 floor, or basement, was designed to accommodate the technical areas, storage, engine room, plumbing, garage and laundry. Casa Moita Santa is characterized by the elegance of the white color throughout the interior and exterior, the striking use of wood and the occasional stone detail.
