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A small house converted into an inhabited work of art

A small house with just 2.5 meters wide that has been transformed into a small oasis, Beira Mar House designed by Portugal-based architectural and design studio Paulo Martins Arquitectura & design, located in Aveiro, Portugal.

Project description by the architect:

Located in one of the most typical and established neighbourhoods of Aveiro (Beira Mar), this residence is the result of a passionate and challenging reform, a reform which intends to return to the city and to its users a lifestyle which is free and in contact with outdoor spaces, with the sound of seagulls and the smell of the sea breeze, the colour of the sky and the green of the vegetation.

a young beautiful girl in bikini reading book on bed image © Ivo Tavares studio

Built on a plot of land measuring 30 meters long and 2.5 meters wide, it formally establishes itself as a habitable corridor, which, from the moment of entry, is filled with moments of darkness, light, surprise, discovery, compression and, lastly, release... the backyard patio!

small house with indoor patio image © Ivo Tavares studio

young lady in white bikini staring on staircase at backyard of the house image © Ivo Tavares studio

With sober and elemental materials, basic and essential functions are covered in concrete, such as the floor we tread and the space which houses the bathrooms and service area. The building has been covered and protected with plasterboard painted dark green, rigorously shielded for its new and invigorated life cycle. Whilst on the one hand we want a dark and intimate environment inside, by conceptual and practical contrast, the exterior is white, a purposefully reflective surface which floods the house with light, sometimes diffuse and soft, sometimes direct and intense, as the reflection of the various moods of those who live there.

skylight in the ceiling let the sun enters the room image © Ivo Tavares studio

Relative to design, all social functions have been planned to take place on the ground floor, in direct contact with the house's backyard patio, while the upper floor is reserved for both bedrooms and a solarium, visually protected from unwanted eyes by a plant curtain.

Ground Floor PlanGround Floor Plan

First Floor PlanFirst Floor Plan

This house was designed to be lived in and experienced in the privacy and freshness of the exterior, in tune with the past and with a deep respect for the future.

bedroom with paining on the floor image © Ivo Tavares studio

girl in black bikini sitting by window image © Ivo Tavares studio

bathroom with circular mirror over washing basin image © Ivo Tavares studio

painting frame on the floor image © Ivo Tavares studio

naked girl in white bikini sitting on white staircase image © Ivo Tavares studio

white metalic staircase image © Ivo Tavares studio

girl with bronzed legs and white bikini standing on stairs image © Ivo Tavares studio

naked girl taking sun on the roof of the house image © Ivo Tavares studio

sexy girl taking sun on the roof of the house image © Ivo Tavares studio

sexy girl with beautiful bronzed body taking sun on the roof of a small house image © Ivo Tavares studio

girl with barefoot food walking on the roof image © Ivo Tavares studio

young lady in white dress on the rooftop of the house image © Ivo Tavares studio

white concrete wall texture image © Ivo Tavares studio

backyard of a small house with staircase and plants image © Ivo Tavares studio

living room with sofa and sliding door image © Ivo Tavares studio

girl walking nearby window image © Ivo Tavares studio

girl taking care of indoor garden plants image © Ivo Tavares studio

indoor garden plant in the patio image © Ivo Tavares studio

girl reading book while sitting on black sofa in living room image © Ivo Tavares studio

cozy living room image © Ivo Tavares studio

girl washing glass in the kitchen image © Ivo Tavares studio

kitchen area image © Ivo Tavares studio

skylight in the ceiling let the sunlight enters the bathroom image © Ivo Tavares studio

picture frame on the floor image © Ivo Tavares studio

mirror and washing basin image © Ivo Tavares studio

girl walking in the corridor image © Ivo Tavares studio

girl going upstairs image © Ivo Tavares studio

open wooden door image © Ivo Tavares studio

dining table with chairs and frame on the wall image © Ivo Tavares studio

naked woman picture on the wall image © Ivo Tavares studio

naked woman picture on the wall illuminated with artificial light image © Ivo Tavares studio

grey colored wall image © Ivo Tavares studio

apples in the basket on the kitchen counter image © Ivo Tavares studio

indoor patio with garden plants image © Ivo Tavares studio

black wood texture image © Ivo Tavares studio

black wood texture for kitchen image © Ivo Tavares studio

leather chair image © Ivo Tavares studio

white rug on the floor  image © Ivo Tavares studio

small bookshelves on the floor image © Ivo Tavares studio

room with light on the ceiling image © Ivo Tavares studio

bed side table image © Ivo Tavares studio

ceramic washing basin image © Ivo Tavares studio

white concrete wall texture image © Ivo Tavares studio

white cement wall image © Ivo Tavares studio

white metalic staircase image © Ivo Tavares studio

white staircase in the backyard of the house illuminated with led lighting image © Ivo Tavares studio

indoor garden with illumination on plants image © Ivo Tavares studio

green plants inside white oval pots image © Ivo Tavares studio

white staircase illuminated with led lightsimage © Ivo Tavares studio

green plants grown on the roof of the house image © Ivo Tavares studio

white stairs image © Ivo Tavares studio

A small house converted into an inhabited work of artimage © Ivo Tavares studio

roof garden with plants image © Ivo Tavares studio

green plants on the roof image © Ivo Tavares studio

house with lighting at night image © Ivo Tavares studio

outdoor chair at roof image © Ivo Tavares studio

black bookshelf image © Ivo Tavares studio

house facade image © Ivo Tavares studio

Conceptual diagram Conceptual diagram 

architectural Section drawing Section 

Principal facade Principal facade 

Back Elevation Back Elevation 

 

Project name: Beira Mar House

Architecture firm: Paulo Martins Arquitectura & design

Principal architect: Paulo Martins

Collaborators: Bruno Alvarinhas

Location: Aveiro, Portugal

Net area: 131 m² 

Design year: 2017

Completion year: 2018

Construction: Isolterm

Engineering: R5 Engineers

Photography: Ivo Tavares studio

 

Materials used: 

Aluminium Technal

Exterior coverings - Lajetas de pedra, Etics

External Flooring - Lajetas de pedra

Sockets - Efapel

Lightning - Artemide, Luceplan

Plumbing fixtures - Ceramica Catalano

Appliances - Teka


By Naser Nader Ibrahim

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