House and studio in Portland

This small house was thought to provide spaces to both live and work.

Its structure was thought to be built in reinforced concrete: walls and slabs without beams or columns, just surfaces.

This way to build in concrete is reasonable because the forms are simple and fast and the construction can be very industrialized even cast on site. [Anyway, its simplicity allows us to consider other construction methods].

Usually taken as a heavy material, reinforced concrete can provide such lightness to this structure that can't be reached even with other lighter materials. In addition, this structure accumulates some other roles or functions as wall, ceiling and floor; contributing for control of cost and an affordable result. This house can be built with just some few actions.

Based in two walls, 24' long and 22' high each, both are built on the side limit of the site. Both just touch the ground in two points.

LIVE
A half level up it is the entrance of the "house", the living and kitchen are placed in a 17' x 24' slab, partially with a double height ceiling.

The bedroom is a mezzanine inside this space, a strip slab 10' wide and 24'.

Finally, the roof slab shelter the whole space between the walls, 24' x 24'. Two bars of steel are attached in the roof slab to hang the edge of the living room slab avoiding too long of a cantilever.

All three slabs are supported by a pair of concrete walls placed in the side limit of this parcel.

WORK
As a basement partially sunk into the ground we built a 4' high retaining wall. It defines a 12' x 36' rectangle just partially sheltered by the construction above it. This space has an independent outside entrance, and both living and working spaces are also connected inside.

Although small, this house can offer multiple arrangements of its spaces adapting to the versatility required by the contemporary way of life.

PUBLICAÇÕES:
Periódicos

SPBR ARQUITETOS – PORTLAND HOUSE
ga houses / japão n 109 / 2009