House in Matosinhos is a minimal home located in Matosinhos, Portugal, created by nu.ma. The lot, where the house is inserted, has a non-regular shape, longitudinal, and perpendicular to the street Nossa Senhora da Conceição. It was important to keep the alignment of the house with the existing buildings in order to avoid formal irregularities within the street development. The interior spatial distribution is separated by function and by floors. Due to the longitudinal nature of the lot, the architects proposed an internal yard at the center of the home to allow for natural light to enter the dining/living room and kitchen. Photo 8 of 8 in Spotlight on Portugal: 7 Epic Modern Spaces from A Half-Buried Home Fights for Sunlight

Spotlight on Portugal: 7 Epic Modern Spaces

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Sunk into a slope beside a stream in Portugal’s Caniçada Valley, the rear of this vacation retreat’s ground floor is deeply removed from the outdoors. Fortunately, architecture firm Carvalho Araújo found a way to direct natural light into the kitchen by pairing a skylight with a double-height funnel. The narrow band provides just a modicum of illumination, but it’s a potent reminder of the scenery on high.