When the studio TRAMA arquitetos designed and built this amazing residence in Braga, Portugal back in 2016, they were inspired by a lot of things site-related. We’re referring to the wonderful sun exposure, the location and orientation of the site and of course the extraordinary views of the city. They wanted to take advantage of all that and to highlight the most beautiful elements in powerful but at the same time pleasing and simplistic manner.
View in galleryThe house is a two-story structure with a V-shaped layout designed to take advantage of the viewsView in galleryThe social areas are all grouped at the center in a double-height volumeView in galleryThe more private spaces are housed inside the side wings and they all enjoy panoramic viewsView in galleryThe V-shaped floor plan forms an internal courtyard which incorporates a swimming pool and a poolside deck
The house is V-shaped and this allows all major internal areas to be exposed to the gorgeous views. At the same time this layout creates an internal courtyard which the architects filled with a swimming pool, a large poolside deck and a lounge area. Inside, there’s a social area at the center with access to the garden and pool and the rest of the spaces are organized on the sides on two rows. The upper floor is quite special as it includes a large garage volume for the owner’s vast car collection. It’s visible from any part of the living room. Check out the images captured by photographer João Morgado so see what else makes this residence exquisite.
View in galleryThe private spaces enjoy a close connection to the outdoors, even the ones on the upper floorsView in galleryThe central social area is at the core of the house, bringing together all the other spacesView in galleryThe private volumes are frame by long open balconies with glass railings
View in galleryThe ground floor living spaces feature large sliding doors and walls which expose them to the landscape and the viewsView in galleryThere’s no shortage of natural lighting, not even in the bathrooms where skylights open up the decorView in galleryIn the bedrooms the palette of materials and colors used in the design is simple and mostly reduced to neutralsView in galleryInstead of a skylight, this bathroom section features a full-height window which brings the outdoors inView in galleryFloor-to-ceiling windows open up the house to its surroundings, allowing natural light to enter the roomsView in galleryThe interior courtyard is quite large, big enough to include the pool, a deck, a lounge area and a gardenView in galleryBeautiful wood flooring and white walls ensure a nice fluidity throughout the house, connecting all the different functionsView in galleryAt the core of the house stands a double-height volume with two gorgeous, low-hanging chandeliersView in galleryExquisite human-shaped sculptures are hanging from the ceiling, looking like acrobatsView in galleryA graceful spiral staircase connects the ground floor to the upper level. It looks like a beautiful, giant sculptureView in galleryThe kitchen is part of the open plan social area but is positioned outside of the double-height volumeView in galleryA large kitchen island capable of doubling as a bar or breakfast table showcases the perfect balance of colors used in this spaceView in galleryTwo sleek and graphical-looking chandeliers hang above the large dining tableView in galleryThe extra long dining table can sit 14 people and is perfect for family gatherings and other social eventsView in galleryThese two sculptures are the focal points of the social area’s decor, being visible from both floorsView in galleryThe actual living room is a large and cozy nook with plenty of space between the sofas and the central coffee tableView in galleryThe master bathroom features an eclectic design with marble walls and flooring and large mirrorsView in galleryThe spiral staircase has LED light strips on each step and a transparent glass outer railingView in galleryUnder the staircase there’s a smaller and more intimate dining space with a round table and a matching rugView in galleryThe staircase forms a viewing deck on the upper floor which is perfect for admiring the views of the city