Cork Trees House, Braga contemporary home design, Modern Portuguese Real Estate Architecture Photos

Cork Trees House in Braga

post updated 24 March 2024

Architects: TRAMA arquitetos

Location: Braga, Portugal

We added a film of this delightful house, scroll down to the base of this article for further details.

Photos by João Morgado

5 Feb + 17 Jan 2021

Cork Trees House

TRAMA arquitetos were approached by a young family, who has a close relationship with architecture, to develop a project that materialized the DNA of the architects.

Casa dos Sobreiros_Trama Arquitetos from BUILDING PICTURES on Vimeo.

Furthermore, in addition to a harmonious design, the project should focus on the space details.

The intention was to surprise, to integrate the exterior surroundings with the interior environment, to merge spaces and create sensations, without discouraging functionality.

The name Cork Trees House reflects the fundamental role that the native vegetation played during the project development.

The terrain, on a steep slope, is composed of a grove of centuries-old cork oak trees, located on the lowest level. In this context, the house was designed to enjoy the best sun exposure and also the open views over the mountains and valleys of the region.

TRAMA arquitetos started from the idea that the floor of the house should be in line with the canopy of cork trees, as if it were a garden that floats on the horizon.

Therefore, the architects designed a functional single-floor plan, occupying almost the entire width of the plot.

As for materiality, the architects associated raw and natural materials that would merge with the surroundings. They started from concrete, stone, wood and steel. Outside, the exposed concrete merges subtly with natural shale and corten steel oxidized by time.

Inside, walnut wood provides comfort and a chromatic relationship with the roman travertine marble on the floor and the apparent concrete of the ceiling.

The result achieved was a project that is harmonious with the surrounding environment and is intended to be timeless.

Cork Trees House in Braga, Portugal – Building Information

Architect’s Firm: TRAMA arquitetos

Architect: Bruno Leitão and Marco Bernardino
Project Team: Adriano Peixoto, Ricardo Silva, Eduarda Rocha, Helena Vilar, Catarina Silva
and Ivo Silva
Location: Braga, Portugal
Project year and construction: 2018 / 2020

Photographs: João Morgado

Cork Trees House, Braga images / information received 170121 from TRAMA arquitetos

5 Feb 2021

Cork Trees House Braga Film

The film produced by Building Pictures about “Casa dos Sobreiros” by Trama Arquitectos, is the response to a request made to google: “Google! Show me what it’s like to live… in a house designed by Trama Arquitetos. ”

We enter the house guided by a car and are faced with a blind facade in schist and corten steel. When we open a door, we can perceive a close rela-tionship between landscape and nature with the project, not only through the huge glass panels, but also through a lake that crosses the house from an entrance area to the living room. The frame, when collected, deprives the harmony of the house of the same name, with the crown of the cork oaks, like a garden that floats on the horizon.

The film accompanied the daily rhythm of the house and shows the fluidity between the spaces of the kitchen, living room, dining room and bedrooms, distributed on the ground floor of the house. It is worth noting the constructive and material quality, and the way the spaces reflect as routines and the paths that the day-to-day routine requires. Even the bathroom spaces are treated as if they were noble spaces in the house.

The film ends with night images of the house and shows the relationship be-tween lighting and architecture.

Cork Trees House Portugal – Film Information

Architecture: Trama Arquitectos
Direction & Production: Building Pictures (buildingpictures.pt)
Camera: Sara Nunes
Post-production: Sara Nunes
Sound Design: André Cardoso
Music: Imagine Us by Brightarm Orchestra

2021| 3’00’’ | 16:9

FILM: https://vimeo.com/buildingpictures/casadossobreiros

Cork Trees House Braga images / information received from Sara Nunes

Location: Braga, Portugal, southwestern Europe