The Houses

Casas da Vargem are located in a valley in Ponta do Sol, Madeira, characterized by a mix of small banana plantations and single-family houses. A narrow road on the upper side of the terrain gives access to the inclined terrain 3 meters below, wich had 2 small stone storages in ruins. The scale of those storages, typical for the traditional construction in this area, were the basis for this project with 2 semidetached holiday houses. The storages were renovated and various new volumes with a similar size were organized sloping down the terrain, creating patios and gardens in between. From the other side of the valley the building shows as a collection of smaller volumes, fitting to the area. On the interior the rooms follow the natural inclination of the terrain, allowing the spaces to have a direct connection to the gardens and patios which have different levels of privacy, solar exposure, and shade. The two houses have a shared pool surrounded by lush vegetation, giving maximum privacy towards the terraces. Each house has a private exterior bathtub. The materials chosen are mostly traditional, natural materials like wooden floors, exposed stone facades for the renovated storages and terraces finished with “calçada portuguesa”, a traditional-style pavement using small basalt stones.