Casa S

Awards

• Architecture MasterPrize (AMP) · 2026 — see announcement

Casa S turns a steep, wooded slope in Braga into a sequence of inhabited platforms. The project fits an extensive domestic programme into two staggered horizontal planes, using the cut in the terrain to reconcile an opening to the valley with the intimacy of a house set into the land.

The lower floor projects out over the landscape and gathers the communal life of the house, extending the living spaces under deep concrete cantilevers towards the terrace, pool and garden. The upper floor withdraws towards the slope, housing the bedrooms and the more private spaces. This offset reduces the apparent scale of the house and creates distinct relationships with the ground: more open and expansive below, more sheltered and closer to the slope above.

The existing elements of the landscape become spatial references. A mature cork oak is kept and framed by a large skylight, bringing the canopy into the experience of the interior. The exposed rock remains visible beside the private spaces, preserving a tangible link to the geology of the place. Courtyards and zenithal openings bring natural light into the spaces set against the ground and deepen the transition between withdrawal and openness.

Exposed concrete brings together structure, retention and finish in one continuous language. Its horizontal planes frame the horizon, while the cantilevers shade the glazing and extend domestic life outdoors. The green roofs carry the landscape over the building and soften its presence when approached from above.

The house is organised around the changing experience of light, shelter and distance. Its architectural identity grows out of the relationship between everyday life and the specific conditions of the place: terrain, rock, trees and horizon become an integral part of living.

Credits

Studio: L2C Arquitetura
Photography: Ivo Tavares Studio