Family house in Leiria by Aires Mateus

The Lisbon architect Aires Mateus built a family house near the small Portuguese town of Leiria, whose abstract snow-white shape evokes the simplicity of buildings by Japanese minimalists. The block with a gabled roof is perfectly insulated from the surrounding environment. The introverted structure has all its windows hidden inside, so at first glance, it may seem as if it has none. There is only one large opening in the facade and a notch in the sloping roof plane. Light enters the interior through a central stepped atrium and a trio of smaller courtyards embedded in an artificially grassed hill.