Casa Tolo

Architects: Alvaro Leite Siza


Client: Luís Marinho Leite Barbosa da Silva


Location: Lugar das Carvalhinhas - Alvite, freguesia de Cerva, Ribeira da Pena District


Site Area: 1000 m²


Constructed Area: 180 m²


Contractor: Óscar Gouveia


Landscape: Alvaro Leite Siza Vieira


Materials: Concrete, timber, steel and glass

Project Complete: 2005


The house Alvaro Leite Siza designed is a three-bedroom holiday house. It consists of a social bathroom, a living room, a dinning room, a small kitchen with a support washbasin, pantry, and a small outdoor swimming pool.

The main entrance is based on the north side of the house, which stands on the top of the hill. This is purely out of functional reasons because a road leads to this part and it’s possible to park a car. Nonetheless you can still access the residence on the south side from a footpath.

The dwelling is designed as if it part of nature. In order to preserve the trees and natural character of the area he designed a long and narrow home that follows the landscape. It is made out of small linked and interconnected geometrically shaped compartments that follow the natural terrain. Each volume has it’s own elevation and function. Stairs on the interior connects each room. At the same time the exterior stairs follow the same path as the interior ones and connects the interior and the exterior of the house. Consequently the roof works as a path linking the north and south roads together. Some parts of the roof also function as a garden since some parts are covered with grass.

This way of using the roof is inspired by the traditional houses built in the northern regions of the country that has a hilly terrain. All these aspects give a natural movement to the dwelling.

The south façade has a lot of windows, so the interior would get optimal natural light and enjoy a natural view. The shape gives a different experience from the northeast to the southeast. The east side of the house shows the different geometrical volumes and elevation while the west part consists out of the staircase.

The holiday house isn’t just built on top of the hill following its terrain; it is partially buried in the ground, which has a positive thermal effect on the house. Since the house is built in a warm climate, the ground has a nice cooling effect.

The Casa Tolo is built out of concrete, which creates the affect that the building is made out of huge stones.

Paving stones of reinforced concrete are made to create an air space between these and the lot to make the building waterproof. PVC canvases will also waterproof foundations, walls and roofs. The roof is covered with thermal insulation and has anti-slip tiles. Furthermore the exterior doors and windows are in double-painted metal to improve thermal and acoustic insulation.

The non-load bearing walls are made out of cement blocks filled with sand, plastered, coated and painted white in the interiors. The floors, doors and skirting on the inside of the dwelling are made out of wood (except for the bathrooms).

References:

ArchDesign. 2009. http://www.archdaily.com/893/tolo-house-alvaro-leite-siza/ (accessed March 3, 2010).

DAS. 2008. http://www.d-a-s.hr/video-vijesti/421/tolo-house-alvaro-leite-siza/ (accessed March 4, 2010).

DesignBoom. 2008. http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/3668/casa-tolo-by-alvaro-leite-siza-vieira.html (accessed March 2, 2010).