ORBSEO
RAINHA VILLA
Rainha Villa
Architect : AABE – Atelier d’Architecture Bruno Erpicum & Partners
Location : Portugal
Year of completion : 2010
Area : 400 M2
Photographer : Jean-Luc Laloux
Text : Baptiste Erpicum
Concrete envelops the building, like weathered skin tanned by Portugal’s climate. The skin has wrinkles and flaws that trap the light. This denotes its strength of character.
Below the day zone exposed to air and light, lies an underground family room. It acts as a rest-stop before reaching the bedrooms. The sofa invites us to sit for a moment and unravel the secrets of the raw material, the only décor.
The bedroom includes a bath and shower. Everything is incorporated into a single room to save on space. This is what counts.
The central block of the day zone supports the roof, like an umbrella encircled by a crown of luminosity.
In the dead of the night, you may well think a star has landed on earth.
