Casa Herdade Da Aroeira, A Home That Resembles Its Pinewood Surrounds

‘Casa Herdade da Aroeira‘ is located on a secluded property in Almada, a small municipality on the opposite side of the river from the capital of Lisbon. The home is positioned on a hexagonal plot of land, and its defining feature is the rough texture of the ground floor’s exterior facade—coated with a finish that resembles the blackened bark of the nearby pine trees. Reflective glass on the upper floor and a majority of windows gives the house a mirrored look from the outside. The architects explain that they utilized the glass walls to make the most of the forested views, in order to “visually enrich all interior spaces”. The 300-square-meter space is divided across two levels. On the ground floor, the open plan layout consists of a clean all-white interior, with kitchen and dining areas interrupted only by a striking stained-wood staircase leading to bedrooms on the first floor. As with the ground floor, natural light floods the bedrooms on the upper floor, where glass walls “reflect and mirror the canopies of the pine that surrounds”. At night, spotlights shine out over a minimally-designed swimming pool, which is accompanied by multiple outdoor terraces for relaxing amongst the trees.