The house is arranged on a single level, organized around relaxation and enjoyment. Social and contemplative spaces were prioritized, such as large rooms open to the landscape and areas with hammocks that invite moments of pause and connection with nature. The goal of Toronjos is clear: to enjoy and preserve the natural landscape.

The commitment to sustainability is evident in every aspect of the project. Local materials and regional labor were used, reducing the carbon footprint and strengthening the site’s identity. The structure combines adobe and wooden beams, which were left exposed to add warmth. The floor was handcrafted with adobe produced on-site, and the walls are finished with an adobe plaster that harmonizes with the surrounding color palette.

Toronjos is, essentially, architecture that doesn’t dominate. It blends seamlessly with the landscape, enhancing it and becoming a natural extension of it. The building doesn’t seek to stand out, but rather to disappear among the vegetation, water, and earth, embodying a way of living in harmony with the environment.

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The first decision was to incorporate the old garage as an internal area of the house. The area previously intended for cars was transformed into the access garden, with various species of plants. The structure of this space is made of garapeira wood, wrapped in corrugated alveolar polycarbonate, fixed with aluminum frame sets, providing a space of multiple sensations.

In this same area is the staircase leading to the bedroom floor. The transition from the social area to the intimate area is made through an intermediate space, with a mix of solid garapeira wood flooring and perforated metal sheet, which allows you to see the garden on the lower floor and the front door, as well as being permeated by natural ventilation.

The bedroom wing is organized by a central wood frame structure that supports the entire technical area of the house, as well as defining the two bathrooms of the smaller bedrooms and the wardrobe of the master bedroom. The bathroom of this master bedroom occupies the roof of the old laundry room, expanding the area of the house. It is fully lit by the double polycarbonate facade.

The annex is an extension of the grassy area. Completely open, it was constructed with more weather-resistant materials, using masonry and exposed reinforced concrete. Its roof is a garden, improving the microclimate of the area and beautifying the view from the bedrooms and the building attached to the back of the house.

Finally, the exterior part of the house and its relationship with the street: the possibility of seeing a city where houses have no walls. Of course, we are aware of the privileged situation of being in a village, but it still allows us to dream of a less individual and imprisoned future.

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The construction methodology commenced with concrete over pour dry placed footings. A footing was placed at every grid intersection to allow flexibility in the timber member sizes. The timber joists and beams were procured from second-hand marketplaces and left rough, meaning there was no embodied carbon associated with transport and re-milling. After the structure had been erected, the prefabricated doors, windows, and facade panels were inserted.

The finishes internally and externally were driven by transforming local waste materials into high-quality, fit-for-purpose surfaces. The external render was developed in collaboration with the renderer to create a mix that was textural, thin, suitable for outdoors, and incorporated high percentages of waste. We salvaged and crushed the marble locally.

Internally, the timber lining boards were sourced from tallowwood flooring in a Sydney home slated for demolition. The floorboards were carefully lifted by a deconstruction specialist. Carpenters then refinished the boards so they could be installed as wall lining. The lights were made from the off-cuts of these lining boards. The joinery is designed as a loose piece of furniture so that it can be removed with minimal impact should the client’s needs change, and easily reused elsewhere. The piece is made using leftover single sheets of veneer.

Whilst some of the salvaged materials may have come at a lower upfront cost, the reality of the project’s cost/value outcome is that it would have been more cost-effective to build using standard construction methodologies and virgin materials. Our construction industry’s infrastructure is geared for a linear building process. Due to this, designing with salvaged materials generally takes more time, which increases the labour cost beyond the savings realised in the cost of materials.

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Progressing into the interior of the building, the spaces begin to fit together, enclosing themselves to the surroundings, between environments and spaces that invite silence and introspection. Central to the spatial organization – the atrium/waiting room – functions as a lounge space, but also as a distribution area between the public program (restrooms, kitchenette, and chapels) and the service program (storage, technical areas, and area dedicated to the worship leader).

In the chapels, the light traverses the space differently throughout the day, every day of the year. The door-opening system and the proposed furniture allow for the maximum number of seated users and, with the union of the two chapels, differentiated ceremonies.

Just as in local vernacular constructions, it can be asserted that the new building will always be a consequence of the place, seeking to activate and promote, in parallel, the small local economies through the use of the existing stone on-site, wood, and the use of white color in contrast to schist, in order to preserve the collective constructive memory, contributing to the maintenance of the construction culture of Alentejo and, specifically, of Barrancos, allowing the new building to “be built with the landscape.”

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The plot, located in a suburban neighborhood, has a rectangular area of 923.34 m2 bordered on the north-east by industrial buildings, on the northwest by Anselm Clavé street and on the south-east and south-west by green spaces and communal areas of a neighboring apartment building. The ground floor defines an interior passage that communicates the street and the park providing connectivity and integration between the two urban areas all the while dividing the space into two enclosed spaces for commercial and public use. Its shape follows the nature of its surroundings for better integration and its hard-based finishes facilitate accessibility and maintenance. In turn, the façades are defined by balconies that occupy the maximum surface allowed by local regulations, which limit their presence to the 50% of the façade.

By strictly following a fan-like shape, the project extends the exterior surface of the apartments to the maximum allowed, defining large outdoor spaces.

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Life takes place between the outlines of the objects. Cooking and eating, bathing and doing laundry―everything fills in the string of voids with clusters of household items. The family of objects appears to have looked for and found their places within the structure, as if settled in response to its form. Amongst and between them, the two cats slink about and wind from an open window weaves through, as light from outside swallows everything together. Both life and nature are in tension with the architecture. They exist together and sometimes connect, but never blend. The architecture triggers life and life strengthens the architecture. The goal was to create that kind of relationship in this house.

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Inside, the pavilion is divided into two distinct areas: a secluded workspace and a cozy corner for relaxation. Birch plywood, the material at the heart of the design, ties the structure to its natural surroundings. Together with a cork-lined ceiling, it creates a warm, inviting atmosphere and enhances acoustics, making the space ideal for quiet contemplation or music appreciation. South-facing openings invite light and warmth, while the curved walls embrace the trees, deepening the connection to the garden.

A defining moment in the design process came when the pavilion’s beams aligned with the birch trees, forming a striking fan-like silhouette. This alignment crystallized the pavilion’s purpose—a thoughtful integration of structure, light, and nature. As a result, this small “music box” within the garden feels perfectly at home, offering a space of quiet focus and harmonious connection to its surroundings.

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The reflection of the chimney becomes the stairs, leading to the pool. An erratic block, carried by the ancient glaciers from the Alps to the lake shore, sits upon the water’s surface. The main façade is a symmetrical reflection, a tribute to the horizontal line separating the looming mountains and reflective lake in Hodler’s work.

The long rectangular plan, highly constrained by building regulations, develops on three levels. While the ground floor living spaces largely open out to the surroundings, the underground bedrooms open to an enclosed, inaccessible patio, filled with a thin layer of rainwater collected from the roof. The light bounces off the two basins before entering the house, projecting its dancing reflections onto the wooden walls and ceiling.

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To create a natural texture in the building, materials such as washed stone, gravel concrete, granite cubes, textured paint and marine plywood are juxtaposed to infuse the building with life and a natural vibe.
Rough washed stone is used for the indoor bar counter, seating, and flooring, creating a simple, natural aesthetic. The gravel concrete flooring and gray washed walls complement each other, enhancing the outdoor feel of the space. The rough textures provide a non-slip surface for pets, while also offering the durability and stain resistance akin to outdoor natural materials. The retail display walls and movable furniture system are constructed using a collage of marine plywood panels, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that complements the wooden ceiling. The clever selection of these materials, along with their natural weathering over time, will further enhance the building’s texture.

The design team incorporated a pet-friendly ramp as a visual symbol, integrating it with the architectural space’s functionality to create a memorable brand identity. The graphic elements, designed with a three-dimension feel and a sense of volume, further articulate the space’s iconic and fun identity. Various super visual symbols, crafted by the graphic design, seamlessly echo the concept of a shared space between people and pets. The three-dimensional visual design enriches the formal language in this community space. Blending functionality and symbolism, these symbols contribute to a more diverse and multi-dimensional brand image. The brand’s visual identity is further strengthened by using pet-sensitive colors, such as blue and yellow, which convey a lighthearted and fashionable vibe through the interplay of lines and planes. Combining brand symbols with space functionality, the design team crafted a series of branding materials, signage, graphics, and installations. A pet map at the entrance helps visitors better understand the spatial functions, while the door handle and business hours information are cleverly arranged to create an engaging three-dimensional graphic. This comprehensive brand design enhances the space with a stronger and more cohesive brand identity.

By cleverly utilizing the building’s height, the design team creates a two-story space that ensures brightness and transparency while diversifying the spatial functions. The overall layout is composed of three sections: the cafe at the entrance, the activity area in the middle, and the functional area at the back. This maintains the relative independence of each functional space, and also ensures an orderly circulation.

The cafe at the entrance is conceived as a landscaped courtyard, creating a continuous corridor that breaks the boundary between interior and exterior. A semi-enclosed landscape entrance is formed around a big tree, with the entire area wrapped in washed stones. These natural textures continually awaken the vitality in pets, bringing fresh energy into the space.

The middle activity area retains the original spatial structure, with a ramp connecting the pet activity areas on the first and second floors, forming a natural hillside that seamlessly integrates with the entrance corridor. The park-style bench seating arrangement maximizes space for pet activities. Natural light filters through the building interior from morning to dusk, creating a dynamic play of light and shadow throughout the day.

The functional area at the back consists of several stacked boxes. The first level accommodates the pet hotel and grooming rooms, with capacitive glass partitions that can be flexibly adjusted to display the grooming room’s work status as needed. The second level features office spaces and a pet photography studio, with the offices offering a panoramic view of the entire space for improved communication and management.

The furniture details within the space are thoughtfully crafted to provide a sense of security for pets visiting for the first time. Space is intentionally left under the seating areas to give small animals a safe spot to settle in and ease their anxiety in an unfamiliar environment. The suspended design beneath the movable central bench minimizes obstacles during play, allowing pets the freedom to run or rest.

Fixed small round tables, designed with the function of anchoring dog leashes, free pet owners’ hands, enabling them to chat and enjoy food at ease. The wall features pegboards, which serve both as retail displays and decorative elements. The space’s flexibility is further enhanced by fully movable furniture, allowing for easy reconfiguration to suit different pet-themed needs.

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