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Red House
In the village of Azeitão, south of Lisbon, lies
Red House, a single-family residence designed by
EXTRASTUDIO with landscape by Oficina dos Jardins.
Housed in a former winery, the design breathes new
life into the existing structure while preserving
the land’s orange orchard. Though two façades
are windowless, the house connects interior
and exterior spaces through quietly effective
interventions: a courtyard that brings light
into the darkest part of the house, and fourteen
metres of sliding windows opening onto the garden.
Reflected onto the mirrored walls inside, the garden
is present indoors even when the windows are
closed. A reflection pool tempts an outdoor swim
among the fragrant fruit trees.
This contemporary home makes use of all original
materials: the old roof tiles were reused, stone
was transformed into sills, and the timber
roof structure became an exterior deck. The
red exterior, for which the house is named, was
achieved by adding a natural red pigment to the
mortar, allowing the house to age gradually without
ever requiring a coat of paint. The colour reacts
to the environment, becoming lighter or darker
depending on the humidity.
A perfect companion for De La Espada furniture,
Red House is sensitive to the passage of time and
locality, firmly Portuguese with a universal appeal.
