In the southernmost part of Portugal, leaving the ocean behind and heading inland, one finds oneself immersed in a landscape where gentle hills alternate with plains and the land is often arid. It is here, near the town of Grândola, that Bak Gordon Arquitectos has completed its project for a minimalist private house that blends into its surroundings. 

Bak Gordon Arquitectos (BGA) was founded in 2002 by Ricardo Bak Gordon, after more than 10 years of experience in various firms and with several completed projects that helped launch his career, such as the project for the Portuguese Embassy residence in Brasilia in 1995.
Today, BGA’s work focuses mainly on residential houses, educational and public buildings and each project is characterised by its link with the context in which it is developed. 

For the house in the hills of Grândola the key word is minimalism. Although the architectural style typical of the Alentejo region is influenced by Arabic, here the design moves away from tradition and instead presents lines and shapes that recall modernism. 

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The house stands on a large cistern for storing water, it is covered with lime mortar and the interior is insulated from the outside by the use of cork. Inside, space is divided into private rooms gravitating around the small interior patio and transitional spaces that draw the line between inside and outside.

PH: Francisco Nogueira