11 Tiny Prefab Cabins Pop Up in the Woods of Portugal
Summary harnesses the power of prefabrication to create a set of compact homes on a breathtaking site.
Summary harnesses the power of prefabrication to create a set of compact homes on a breathtaking site.
Architect Samuel Gonçalves of Porto-based Summary has developed a system for constructing prefabricated, modular structures from concrete—and the firm’s latest project is a series of 11 compact cabins in the woods of Paradinha, a small village in Alvarenga, Portugal.
"We considered the area’s natural and ancestral elements, and distributed the cabins according to the configuration of the land, altering the plot as little as possible," says Gonçalves. "We preserved old stone walls and existing trees, some of them protected species, by carefully placing the cabins around them."
The prefab cabins that Summary designed for Syntony Hotels in Alvarenga, Portugal, are made from concrete, pine, and glass.
Photo by ©Fernando Guerra | FG+SG
This approach provided each cabin with a a different orientation—some overlook the Paiva River, while others face the rolling hills and towering oak and cork trees that populate the region. "The terrain is very hilly," Gonçalves says. "It’s a quiet and peaceful forest, where you can hear the river all the time."
Paradinha, a small wooded village, is dotted with hills and oak and cork trees. "Due to its proximity to the Paiva River, the site is protected by environmental legislation," says architect Samuel Gonçalves. The firm preserved the landscape by arranging the cabins around the plot's existing features.
Photo by ©Fernando Guerra | FG+SG
Gonçalves’s Gomos System offered an ideal solution for Paradinha’s steep terrain. "It would’ve been extremely difficult and expensive to do traditional construction in the area," he says. "This prompted us to use prefabrication."
Summary layered a geometric pine screen on top of the glass walls to create shade and prevent the interiors from overheating.
Photo by ©Fernando Guerra | FG+SG
See the full story on Dwell.com: 11 Tiny Prefab Cabins Pop Up in the Woods of Portugal
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