MR189 Single Family House | Monte Ramalde
Client: Private
Area: –
Team: to be defined
Construction: to be defined
Contractualization: 2025
[On license]
In the heart of historic Porto, between the urban fabric and accumulated memories, a sloping plot of land is home to a permanent dwelling. A couple chose this place to meet their present needs and to evolve throughout the different stages of their lives.
The intervention was born out of the land and the urban context, the history that surrounds it and the natural unevenness seen as an opportunity. The house is designed to welcome people, create routines and offer comfort, without losing sensitivity to the surrounding landscape of vineyards and old walls.
Intervention and terrain
This project arose from a careful reading of the site: the topography, the urban fabric and the memories of Monte de Ramalde.
The natural unevenness of the plot is seen as an opportunity to connect the interior and exterior in a fluid way.
The house respects the history of the site and seeks to integrate it into the daily experience, giving the couple a refuge that dialogues with the city.
Program and organization
The program is spread over two floors, adapting to family life and the future ageing of the owners.
The upper floor, reserved for everyday life, houses the double bedroom and the guest room, as well as an autonomous suite prepared for local accommodation with independent access from the street. A single toilet serves this level, reinforcing simplicity and accessibility. The kitchen with island connects with the living and dining rooms, combining visual comfort with functionality. Integrated furniture and storage areas ensure flexible, family-friendly use.
The lower floor opens up to the garden expansion, housing the future swimming pool or pond and outdoor dining areas. The unevenness of the terrain is worked into the interior, creating continuity between inside and outside and transforming the space into a fluid experience. A glazed office volume completes the house and sits discreetly on the edge of the plot; the transparency of this annex allows light and the landscape to be a constant presence, without intruding on the intimacy of the house.
Program and organization
The program is spread over two floors, adapting to family life and the future ageing of the owners.
The upper floor, reserved for everyday life, houses the double bedroom and the guest room, as well as an autonomous suite prepared for local accommodation with independent access from the street. A single toilet serves this level, reinforcing simplicity and accessibility. The kitchen with island connects with the living and dining rooms, combining visual comfort with functionality. Integrated furniture and storage areas ensure flexible, family-friendly use.
The lower floor opens up to the garden expansion, housing the future swimming pool or pond and outdoor dining areas. The unevenness of the terrain is worked into the interior, creating continuity between inside and outside and transforming the space into a fluid experience. A glazed office volume completes the house and sits discreetly on the edge of the plot; the transparency of this annex allows light and the landscape to be a constant presence, without intruding on the intimacy of the house.
Exterior and relationship with the landscape
The existing vineyard is relocated and becomes a central element of the outdoor space, providing shade and a natural, welcoming dining area.
The integration of the slope exploits the topography to create viewpoints, paths and leisure areas, enhancing everyday life. The pool or pond acts as a serene pause between the volumes of the house and the annex.
The exterior is no accessory: it is designed with the same density and care as the interior. Materials such as wood, stone, exposed concrete and tiles establish continuity between inside and outside, between history and contemporaneity.
Project Gallery
Unique characteristics that set it apart
Architecture as a journey
More than a house, it’s a continuous experience.
The main façade has interior shutters that balance privacy and natural light, while the rear façade is redesigned with exposed concrete and glazed planes, framing the house in the urban context of historic Porto.
From indoors to outdoors, from everyday life to leisure, each space is designed for the life you want to share. The staircase, carefully positioned, connects the floors naturally; the materials build a silent narrative; the light shapes the environments.
The project at Monte de Ramalde is a sensitive response to the historical context of Porto, where tradition and contemporaneity coexist, creating a home that breathes between volumes, light and landscapes, prepared to accompany the couple through different stages of life.
