In a rural, disconnected and fragmented setting, a monolithic, opaque and neutral volume rises up, adjusting itself to the scale of its surroundings. This is Casa de Gafarim, designed by the firm Tiago do Vale Arquitectos, a private home that combines simplicity of form with a more complex treatment of interior space. The entrance is a protracted moment of transition, creating a place in its own right. Evolving from an external space of arrival to its interior extension, from shade to light, from opaque to transparent, this progressive contrast is an important representation of the duplicities and contradictions that set the theme for this project. After this entrance, with more conditioned areas, the space decompresses into a large, double-height volume featuring the social programme of the house, bringing together a living room, kitchen and dining space under a single ceiling. Although this space enjoys great transparency, its northeast orientation allows a controlled relationship with natural light. The private area, without explicit divisions, develops with autonomy, twisting all the rooms to the southeast.
