Taking root beside the massive manmade Alqueva lake near Portugal’s border with Spain, Casa na Terra seemingly blends into the earth. Nearly hidden from view, the property embodies its name, which translates to “house in the land” in English. “Our ambition was to make the house disappear,” says architect Manuel Aires Mateus, who spearheaded the design of Silent Living’s latest property, the fifth to join the collection of rentable homes in Portugal.
Conceived as a bunker of sorts, the structure features a landscaped roof that merges almost completely with its surroundings. “The ground continues and you see a line [at the limit of the property], then you see the water,” he explains, creating the illusion that nothing interferes with the landscape.
Despite long delays (the project began in 2007) and limitations, as Casa na Terra is located in an area where construction is technically not allowed, the six-room house surpassed expectations. “We started with the idea of building a kind of ruin,” Aires Mateus explains. When the team went back six years later, the site started to have the look of one.
Built into the ground to have minimal impact on the area’s natural surroundings, the structure is also inspired by the home of a Roman emperor, with its concrete dome offering a sense of protection. “You feel the effort of the people that made it by hand,” he says. “It’s not absolutely precise or mechanical.”
Offering a sense of protection, the structure’s dome shape echoes a Roman emperor’s home
The interiors also feature concrete along with warm wood, cultivating a sense of seclusion and an innate connection with the location. Fittingly, a large circular skylight reveals sunrise and sunset views, while three bedrooms surround open-air atriums wrapped in white tiles that collect and reflect sunlight. “White has a completely different presence here,” he explains. “We only used it in a negative sense,” so it wouldn’t have any impact on the serene setting.
It is through these means that the property sets out to find “a new balance between nature and artifice,” says Aires Mateus. As the sun rises over the lake, a golden glow emanates from the dome for a few minutes each day. Despite the careful planning, it’s a serendipitous moment that brings the whole project together. “This effect is the moment of the house,” says Aires Mateus. “It’s absolute magic.”
This article originally appeared in HD’s April 2021 issue.
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