The house is shaped by a clear intention: it does not close itself off from the street. Instead of walls, its clean white volume defines the site’s boundaries, creating a direct, open relationship with the public realm — an approach inspired by Nordic architecture.
The house turns inward to the west while opening to the east and south, where light, views and outdoor living take center stage. Inside, a double-height entrance hall with an indoor garden brings in zenithal light and quietly organizes the home, while social spaces extend toward the terrace and pool.
Located on a 980 m² plot in the city of Braga, this single-family residence emerges from a direct relationship with the site and its orientation. The plot opens to the east and south, where the views and optimal solar exposure unfold, while the western side is more constrained, defined by the presence of a roughly 5-meter-high party wall resulting from adjacent constructions. The proposal therefore seeks to shield itself to the west and open generously toward the east and south, ensuring thermal comfort, privacy, and high spatial quality.
Organized across two levels, the upper floor assumes a distinctly private character, accommodating the home’s three bedrooms. One of the defining features of this floor is a continuous balcony that extends along the east–south façade. Fully glazed, it offers expansive, breathtaking views over Mount Sameiro, reinforcing the visual connection with the natural surroundings and flooding the interiors with daylight throughout the day. On the opposite façade, an intimate garden is positioned, screened from the public street by a perforated metal panel that guarantees privacy while allowing controlled natural light to enter and illuminate the adjacent circulation area.
The ground floor is structured around a central architectural element of strong presence. An entrance hall with an interior garden and a double-height void. Positioned at the heart of the house, this space functions as a distributive core, articulating the various programmatic areas and creating a moment of pause and contemplation immediately upon entry. The interior garden, illuminated from above through an opening on the upper floor, introduces soft zenithal light and a sense of verticality that enhances the spatial experience.
From this nucleus, three distinct zones unfold. A private area comprising a full suite and a study.
The social area formed by a combined living–dining space and a semi-open kitchen. These spaces flow naturally toward the covered veranda and swimming pool, reinforcing the continuity between interior and exterior and encouraging outdoor living.
Strategically positioned along the western boundary of the plot, the service zone functions as an inhabited wall, resolving the discontinuity created by the existing party wall. This area houses the garage with direct street access, laundry room, changing room, and mechanical room. This decision frees the entire east–south frontage and protects the house from the less favorable exposure.
Inspired by Nordic influences, the residence opens directly onto the street, an aesthetic and functional choice that promotes volumetric simplicity, transparency, and a more fluid everyday experience. The decision not to enclose the plot allows the building’s volume itself to subtly and integrally define the boundaries. As a result, the front of the site is released to accommodate a minimalist garden and private outdoor parking, enhancing the lightness and restraint of the overall composition.
At the rear, the social spaces establish a close relationship with the exterior, where large glazed openings create a seamless continuity between the living areas, kitchen, veranda, and pool, fostering a contemporary lifestyle centered on natural light and outdoor space.
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Project name: Minimalist White House
Architecture Office: Arquitetura501
Main Architect: Hernâni Sá
Location: Ferreiros, Braga, Portugal
Year of conclusion: 2024
Total area: 460 m²
Architectural Photographer: Ivo Tavares Studio
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