When deadly wildfires broke out in the Pedrógão Grande region of central Portugal in June 2017, they swept across the rural plot that Geneva, Switzerland–based couple Sandra Mudronja and Pierre Vadi had recently purchased. “When we first visited the property in March that year, it had only a ruined barn and a terraced garden planted with olive, citrus, medlar, arbutus, and cork oak trees,” says Pierre, an artist. Yellow mimosas and fresh spring grass added to that “vegetal exoticism” the urbanites craved. They imagined a country home with easy access to this landscape. Four months later, its lush flora was decimated.

But sometimes an unexpected force of nature inspires new possibilities. Sandra and Pierre engaged Lisbon architect Miguel Marcelino to create a home on the now-charred earth. They left their design brief quite open-ended, requesting only “autonomous architecture that’s very open to the outdoors but independent from it,” recalls Pierre. Marcelino looked to the agricultural site, located two hours by car from Lisbon, as the design’s impetus.

“It became clear to us that this type of landscape didn’t call for a traditional, archetypal house, but rather for something more abstract,” the architect says. To contrast the horizontality of the 11,517-square-foot (1,070-square-meter) site’s existing stone retaining walls, he decided to use concrete columns—65 of them—as the home’s primary structural element.

These pillars rise from a concrete plinth on a garden terrace to form a home reminiscent of a hypostyle hall. The structure is fully exposed, and it creates a portico around an interior glass box that contains the living spaces. The pavilion-like structure stands alone atop its hill, partially closed and and partially open to nature.

The home eschews a traditional entry for a sliding-glass door that opens to the kitchen, dining, and living area. Here, uniform piers are strategically clustered to direct sight lines and durable yet comfortable furniture suits the austere architecture. A large bookcase set between two piers divides the kitchen and lounge. A gray sectional sofa opens toward the dining room for after-dinner drinks.

The home’s decor is minimalist and moody with gray, black, or natural wood furnishings and plenty of storage for tucking away personal items when they}re not in use. Yet despite the neutral palette and the proliferation of exposed concrete, it feels inviting.

A C&A Chama fireplace in the open living space adds a cozy touch, and the black granite kitchen island stores wood to feed it. Vertical pine siding, stained nearly black, surrounds the two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and storage room and clads the kitchen cabinetry and refrigerator. All of the home’s exterior is glazed, and daylight penetrates the interior with the help of three skylights. At night, the building becomes a lantern. Curtains on ceiling-mounted tracks help control sun exposure and provide privacy.

Aside from the triangular pool outside, the 2,400-square-foot (223-square-meter) house isn’t focused on recreation. The couple’s goal was to gather in—and be surrounded by—nature. “Overlooking the valley, the house is a platform whose every opening is a screen,” says Sandra, who works in arts communications. “While all the volumes in the house are generous, there is no room dedicated to any activity other than living.” Currently, Pierre spends lots of time there, encouraging new growth in the fire-ravaged garden that initially captivated their imaginations.

“Ironically, the shape of the house is quite different from the architectural references we shared at the start of our conversations with Marcelino,” he says. But the design process was rooted in the homeowners’ trust in their architect—who they initially cold-called based on an appreciation for his style—and their openness to his experimentation. “Personally, I like the house in its final form,” says Pierre. “It’s smaller and more essential, but still very peculiar.”

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Miguel Marcelino / @miguelmarcelino.arq

General Contractor: Justo Rigor

Structural Engineer: ARA

Plumbing Engineer: Pensamento Sustentável

Construction Supervision: Modo Associados / @modo_associados

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After a Devastating Fire, a Couple Craft a Spartan House From Concrete and Glass