HOUSE OF JOÃO ALEGRE

NOMINATION FOR THE FIRST EDITION OF THE "PORTAL ARQUITECTOS AWARD 2010" IN THE HOUSING CATEGORY

The João Alegre house is located in the center of Anadia, a city in the Aveiro district, in the central region of Portugal. To the south, the property borders a street built in the mid-20th century, which has been fully integrated into the urban fabric. For decades, this street served as the main access to the town, connecting the center to the former National Road 1, a key North-South route linking the cities of Porto and Lisbon.

Although situated in the heart of the town and connected to its main street, the plot retained its rural characteristics until the recent opening of a new road to the north. The land is rectangular in shape and lies at a significantly higher elevation than the two streets that now border it, with a gentle slope toward the south.

During several site visits conducted during the design phase, the idea emerged that the northern side of the plot, near the newly opened road, would be the most suitable location for the house. This area is the highest point of the property, offering broad visual connections to both street fronts. Additionally, this positioning would help establish a strong urban relationship with the new road by carefully designing the retaining and boundary walls.

The João Alegre house is a permanent residence featuring four bedrooms, two living rooms, and service areas. As is often the case, the project was envisioned as "unique" while simultaneously avoiding experimental construction methods. Consequently, accessible solutions were adopted, both technologically and economically. These included a reinforced concrete structure, double brick masonry walls with thermal insulation, aluminum exterior frames, and a flat "inverted" roof.

The final design settled on a nearly "blind" façade facing the northern side of the property, with the house oriented toward the east (bedrooms) and the south garden, which extends to the other street and offers an expansive view.