Vale House

A new residence embedded in a cork oak estate in the Portuguese interior, designed to rest in the landscape rather than occupy it. The house is partially earth-sheltered, with a grass roof that continues the hillside contour across its eastern elevation.

Client context

The client — a writer who divides her time between Lisbon and Alentejo — wanted a house that would disappear when viewed from the valley. The estate had been in her family for three generations, and she sought something that could stand for three more without looking dated.

The challenge

The site is visible from a national road and from a protected viewpoint. Planning required extensive landscaping studies and a formal agreement to maintain unobstructed sight lines across the estate. The building's profile had to remain below the treeline from all public vantage points.

The concept

The house grows from the hillside. On the valley side it is open — glass and ochre-painted concrete facing south across the cork oaks. On the hill side it is almost invisible — earth-sheltered walls and a planted roof that merges into the topography. The spatial sequence moves from compression to expansion, reflecting the landscape outside.

Materials

Ochre-Tinted Concrete — In-situ concrete mixed with local earth pigment to warm its tone.
Cork Insulation — Expanded cork used as primary insulation throughout, sourced from the adjacent estate.
Travertine — Local travertine for kitchen, bathrooms, and outdoor terrace paving.
Planted Roof — Native grass and wildflower roof garden over the earth-sheltered eastern wing.

“I have lived here through two summers and two winters now. The house changes with the seasons in a way I had not expected. I find I stop noticing it — in the best possible sense.”

— Client, Alentejo 2023 (Demonstration content)