SPACE-Rigorous Play: 143 house around a column

SPACE January 2026 (No. 698)

The house hides behind a stripped mask; at its centre sits a tri-partite column and at its top a tall and pink shark fin. The shape of this compact plot, located within a dense urban fabric surrounded by neighbouring houses, is skewed. The project presents the challenge of inscribing a house into a distorted outline. The longest wall of the plot dictates a few directives for the geometry of the plan.
The project explores a vertical dimension within a confined volume. It reveals a continuous line of circulation along the guiding wall. The two staircases of differing characters lead to the rooftop. An Ellsworth Kelly like cut creates a lofty, double height space above the living area. Three columns of different sections accentuate the vertical movement: one round, one hexagonal, and one square. While the ground floor accommodates secondary programmes, the main living space of the house finds its place on the first floor. The expansive room has no interruptions and stretches between the two large windows. Within the empty space a precise arrangement of a few elements and objects emerges: a triangular kitchen, striped floor, a steadfast column, a cut in the ceiling, and an assortment of peculiar handrails. Whimsical furniture is scattered throughout the closely-packed interior composition.

The street façade of the house proudly wears stripes of black and white marble. The big window is a cut-out within that pattern. The window is too big for the house and disguises the division on two levels—the openings are stacked on top of each other and merged into one unified figure. The pink circle, yellow triangle, and green square serve as a handle, a handrail and a shutter respectively. On the opposite end, the narrow back façade adheres to the same rules. The two windows are topped with a striped cornice. A half circle handrail hovers in front, turning it into a mischievous grimace.

©Giulietta Margot

You can see more information on the SPACE No. January (2026).

Architect

fala (Filipe magalhães, Ana Luisa Soares, Ahm

Design team

Joana Sendas, João Carlos Lopes

Location

Porto, Portugal

Programme

single house

Site area

60m²

Gross floor area

120㎡

Height

Building to land ratio

90%

Structure

Exterior finishing

marble cladding, aluminium window

Interior finishing

plastered wall, wood and marble floor, painted exp

Structural engineer

Marcio Pimenta

Construction

Calipa Lda

Design period

2021 – 2025

Construction period

2023 – 2025

Cost

150,000 EUR

Filipe Magalhães

Filipe Magalhães, born in Porto, Portugal, in 1987, graduated from the University of Porto (FAUP), including an exchange year in Ljubljana, Slovenia. He completed his PhD in Architecture at the same institution. He has collaborated with Harry Gugger in Basel and with SANAA in Tokyo, and has served as a Guest Professor at EPFL Lausanne. He has been a Partner at fala since 2013.

Ana Luisa Soares

Ana Luisa Soares, born in Marco de Canaveses, Portugal, in 1988, graduated from the University of Porto, including an exchange year at the University of Tokyo. She has collaborated with Harry Gugger in Basel and with Ito Toyo in Tokyo, has served as a Guest Professor at EPFL Lausanne and HEAD Genève, and is currently a PhD researcher at University of Porto. She has been a Partner at fala since 2013.

Ahmed Belkhodja

Ahmed Belkhodja, born in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1990, graduated from EPFL Lausanne and ETH Zurich. He completed his PhD at the University of Porto. He has collaborated with Obra Architects in New York, Harry Gugger in Basel, and Atelier Bow-Wow in Tokyo, and has served as a Guest Professor at EPFL Lausanne, HEAD Genève, and ENSA Paris-Est. He has been a Partner at fala since 2014.

Lera Samovich

Lera Samovich, born in Novokuznetsk, Russia, in 1991, graduated from the Moscow School of Architecture and completed her PhD at the University of Porto. She has collaborated with Bureau Alexander Brodsky and ASSE Architects in Moscow, has served as a Guest Professor at EPFL Lausanne, and has worked at fala since 2014, becoming a Partner in 2021.