a house in Luanda: Patio and Pavilion

Baobab House. The most activities in a African house are conducted on the outside, under the protection of a porch. There people work, cook and socialize. The interior is just a shelter. The rooms are situated along the outer wall and common area serves as the central distribution area.
Our proposal involves the interpretation and inversion of this model, preserving a family lifestyle centered on a outdoor area protected by a porch. So, we propose a circular house with the outer space / patio in the center. The rooms are projected along the outer wall and a porch waves between the patio and the rooms.
The patio is the organizer of the program. Works as an extension of the interior spaces, as the walls of the porch are rotating panels that allow the full opening of the rooms to the patio. This flexibility allows each resident a private space. The location of the courtyard in the center of the house gives privacy and protection to the family’s outdoor space.

a house in Luanda: Patio and Pavilion by Joao Gomes Leitao in Portugal won the WA Award Cycle 9. Please find below the WA Award poster for this project.