Glass House – Stone House

Located in northern Portugal, not far from the Atlantic coast, the “Glass House – Stone House” project offers a compelling case of contemporary architectural language engaging directly with the materiality of traditional monolithic construction. The intervention comprises two contrasting yet complementary elements: a reconstructed granite farmhouse and a light, transparent glass house that functions as both spatial counterpoint and landscape extension.

The stone house is built with dry-laid granite walls—no mortar—resting directly on the ground, emphasizing a material bond with the terrain and the region’s characteristically humid coastal climate. Of the original seven rooms, three are now enclosed, heated interior spaces, while the remaining four are left open to the elements. This deliberate design move blurs the boundary between interior and landscape, creating a flexible spatial framework for future interventions and reinterpretations.

Rather than introducing complex insulation systems involving membranes, synthetic materials, or cavity walls, the project proposes an “active insulation” strategy. Copper pipes embedded in the exterior stone walls deliver radiant heat throughout colder months, regulating interior temperature and breaking capillary action—an approach that prioritizes material simplicity while respecting local building traditions.

The glass house—the first structure completed in this ensemble—emerges as a light and refined space nestled under a canopy of trees. Two slender glass façades lean into one another to form a triangular roof, sheltering a sunken floor below. Drawing from the principles of a conservatory, the space offers both comfort and exposure, becoming an atmospheric threshold between human habitation and the surrounding natural landscape.

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