Inspiration: Casa no Gerês

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Casa no Gerês has been featured quite a bit on architectural sites and magazines. It has also received multiple awards in recognition of its innovative design by Correia/Ragazzi Aquitectos. The design of the house left many unanswered questions after we saw it the first time. The concrete structure seems very stark and cold. Also the position of the house appears unstable and arbitrary with one end against the hill behind it and the other end hanging over the hill, towards the river. The uneasy feeling that at any moment it will tip over and fall into the water below is hard to ignore.

The owners, Micé and Eduardo Pinto Ferreira, specifically asked for a house with a minimal impact on its surroundings, as it is located in the Peneda-Gerês National Park, the oldest protected area in Portugal. No trees were cut down during the construction of the house. Also the specific site didn't allow for a footprint of the house to be larger than 60 square-meters. Its ingenious design, with a third of its length hanging over the hill, allowed for some flexibility in the actual square footage of the living area. It also brings the house closer to water and immerses the occupants in its beautiful surroundings. These amazing aspects of the structure remind us of Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright.

For more detail review of the house check out the Cool Hunter website.

Photos: The Cool Hunter

Comments (14)

Save Ferris!

posted by Amazake on March 30th 2009 at 7:22pm
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i think it's awesome. i sometimes joke with people who aren't into modern design when they ask what kind of house i'd design for myself and say a concrete box. i wouldn't exactly, but this house is a amazing and is just that- a simple box. the position on the hill is great, looks a bit precarious, i like it though.

like living in a floating observation tower or something.

posted by lab director on March 30th 2009 at 8:38pm
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A wonderful way to get around the footprint limitation. This is not my style, but I appreciate the simplicity that allows the eye to concentrate on the beautiful surroundings.

posted by bromelia on March 30th 2009 at 8:52pm
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Amazake - thanks for the laugh!

posted by AlmostAD on March 30th 2009 at 10:35pm
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Casa no Thankyou. I has the vertigo.

posted by kellylc on March 30th 2009 at 10:55pm
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Yes-- this particular cantilever is most unpleasant.

I fail to understand the 60 sq meters prerequisite-- the space on the hill (cast in shadow by the cliffhanger) could accommodate a lower floor if the hill were built into.

I don't care if this house is structurally sound or not-- it 'feels' dangerous visually. Wrong and show-offy.

posted by shirley-temple-of-doom on March 31st 2009 at 8:27am
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The first thing that popped into my mind was 'subsidence'.

Falling Water isn't structurally sound and has extremely serious water issues, but I digress.

The home featured is pretty and does the job of bringing the outside world into the home, but it seems that is all it is about. Kind of a one architectural trick pony...

Maybe after I retire this will seem pleasant, but I like a little bit more 'drama' in my home.

posted by Jason on March 31st 2009 at 9:10am
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Second that, Almost AD!

I would like to visit before passing a judgment but my first instinct is that the ceiling are too low and the height too precipitous for my comfort.

posted by morina on March 31st 2009 at 9:17am
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This is an incredible house. I cringe to think of how much concrete, steel, re-bar, and post tensioning went into constructing it and the costs. Do the owners use that balcony?

posted by John H on March 31st 2009 at 9:22am
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I'm ready to move in. There's something soooo amazing about a cantilevered house!

posted by jeffnyc on March 31st 2009 at 9:24am
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this cantilevered effect seems unnecessary, and wasted, since there are no windows on the extended portion of the house to allow you to experience (or even notice) from the inside that you are floating out in the trees like that.

posted by amt230 on March 31st 2009 at 9:35am
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If I wanted to live in a box, it would have to be something like this, but with alot more glass.

posted by bepsf on March 31st 2009 at 10:53am
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At first I said, no way! But it's growing on me... that room in the treetops... I have practical concerns though. How is this possibly structurally sound?

posted by whytephoenix on March 31st 2009 at 11:39am
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A few years ago, my husband tried to talk me into an amazing modern fixer in the West Hills here in Portland. The space was amazing, and it would have been an incredible investment - except for the fact that it was perched on a dizzyingly steep hill.

I don't care if our simian ancestors felt safety in the canopy of the trees - it makes me anxious. Especially considering the history around here.

posted by FiatLex on March 31st 2009 at 4:23pm
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