House Ourem By Filipe Saraiva Arquitectos

Filipe Saraiva Arquitectos have designed a modern family house that sits on a slightly sloped piece of farmland in Melroeira – Ourém, Portugal. The design of the house was inspired by the way a child draws a house with just 5 lines, a rectangle and two squares. The pentagon at the front of the house is composed by five lines represents the walls and the roof, while the rectangle is meant to represent the door and the squares, the windows.

At the side of the house is a path that leads to the front door, that’s somewhat hidden underneath a cover of weathered steel.

From inside the house, the wood front door is tucked into a slight alcove, and beside the front door is a music room.

The music room, which is set up with a record player and a relaxing lounge chair look out through a black-framed glass wall that provides a view into the garage.

At the other end of the music room it opens up to the main social areas of the house. A large round wood dining table is surrounded by black chairs that tie in with the black window frames. Large windows fill the social areas with an abundance of natural light, and on cool nights, the family can enjoy the warmth of the fireplace in one of the sitting areas.

Connecting the social areas of the home with the bedrooms and other areas of the home is a simple wood staircase between white walls.

At the top of the stairs is a loft area that’s been set up as a library / home office. A shelving unit runs along the wall and acts as a bookshelf and storage unit. A large white table provides space for four people to work at and underneath the window is a couch for relaxed reading.

The windows in the library are angled to follow the line of the roof, while another large window runs alongside the interior hallway, filling it with light.

Also upstairs are the bedrooms. In the master bedroom, floor-to-ceiling windows add natural light and a door opens the bedroom up to a private courtyard.