This house is situated on a cliff in a very beautiful and picturesque place, Lagos, in Portugal. The proximity to the ocean, visibility from the downtown, and a special natural context with a complex topography led to some restrictions in shape-forming. For instance, the 800 sq. m house has to be almost invisible, not changing the landscape and not standing out the existing natural environment, so that the view from the downtown stays intact.
Location: Lagos, Portugal
Area: 800 sq. m
Total area: 1193 sq. m
Architects: Kerimov Architects
Visualizations: Denis Chegodaev
The house is like a puzzle because from the downtown and the ocean side it is practically invisible but from the side of the road it looks like just a one-storey building. By arranging the volumes according to the site’s topography we could create a feeling of natural elevation difference, for example, the terraces continuing the landscape. Zero and -1 levels are turned to the natural surroundings providing a spectacular view and the natural sunlight essential for the inhabitants’ comfort.
The design of Hidden House is composed around the atrium structure. Each function in the house is assigned to an architectural unit. We formed the volumes to optimize the building area and create a non-arguing-with-a-nature architectural appearance. The careful selection of the color scheme and materials, mainly metal and concrete, helped to integrate the building into the surrounding because the natural color scheme of sandy rocks inspired these design elements.
The Hidden House has two pools, one of which is made in a format of a splendid consoled swimming path with a glass structure with a view to the ocean; the second large swimming pool faces the cliff.
The staff facility separates the entrance group as a public area from the living area as the private one. This building has a green roof where staff members can enjoy the view and spend time contemplating nature.
On the ground floor, there is a bridge that leads to the entrance group. The stairs along the waterfall wall lead to an inner courtyard with a lounge zone.
Hidden House is a great example of a smart sustainable approach. We oriented the building taking into account the solar activity and the main viewpoints and maximized all the windows to that so that the inhabitants will feel comfortable all year long even in the hottest period.
Solar panels installed on the roof collect not only solar but thermal energy; the last is used to heat up the house during the cool days. It’s also possible to regulate the insolation by swivel lamellas installed on the windows.
Also, we installed water collection tanks and funnels to collect rainwater for technical needs and watering plants.
