Abstract

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Detail: research around the building of a famous architect and translating into an own design: casa Rocha Ribeiro by Alvaro Siza.
First, an intensive study of Siza's house was done, making a 1:20 scale model and 1:20 axonometric drawing.

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The second phase existed out of designing a fragment with elements inspired by Siza. There was a specific focus on detail. Introduced as a pars pro toto, the detail later on develops into a bigger whole.

 

In the final phase, all the collected information and gained expertise on Siza's work comes together in a house of one's own. To make design decisions many details were drawn and studied, as well as investigations on bigger scales.

For example, how does a house need to be positioned on-site? Thinking about light, wind, sight directions, enclosure...  Studies of multiple houses by Siza and their positioning helped to define this. The way in which Siza approaches the landscape in which his houses are embedded, is highly enlightening. They offer enclosedness from the street and openness towards the private garden.

This quality was a main guidance in the design.