House in Ilha Selvagem Grande, Madeira, Portugal
Team
Ana Pedro Ferreira Pedro Maria Ribeiro José Gustavo Freitas Vasco Rosa Tomás
The House in the “Ilha Selvagem Grande” marks the ocean with its harsh rock until it sinks into the sea.
Some of the pre-existing facilities will be demolished and some won't.
The general situation to take into account is the fact that the house is going to be built at level 17, which is the same height as where the existing house ends.
It is also a place where the already existing concrete paths meet with each other to allow the tour through the island.
The main body is developed along a longitudinal axis, guided and leaning towards the rock to be part of it .
The house is the route of access to the island.
The access is through the landing of the small port of shearwaters, at level 13 and taking advantage of the foundations of the existing house there are some of the technical areas including a place to save the boat. After climbing a ladder up to level 17 we find ourselves on the porch.
This is the central point of the house.
The porch divides two spaces. The day zone where the common spaces are (kitchen, living rooms, toilets, visits room, media room, etc.) and the night zone where the sleeping spaces with bathrooms are.
The day spaces, communicate with the sea through openings strategically placed as if they were lookout points.
The night space turns to the rock where the sounds of the sea and the absence subtly echo.
The porch is also the continuation of the route, the staircase that wraps around the stone oven continues until it meets the coverage, which is the route that connects to the rest of the island.
The new house is a new route that carries on the design of the paths that mark that place.
The new coverage is also a pavement, a plateau on the sea, that serves as a new surveillance system where you can stop and look.
The house does not try to stand out from the existing rock.
It is built in concrete and aggregates of the existing house demolition.
The walls construction is made with lightweight concrete made “in situ”. Its dense and thick formation is composed of cement, rock dust and sand with volcanic sediments of the island itself. The thickness of the walls, between 40 and 55 cm, guarantees to meet the energy efficiency current demands.
It is drawn on that place and for that place.
It doesn't pretend to be natural but an element that communicates with the surrounding environment instead.
