Ernesto do Canto, designed by BOX Arquitectos, is a residential project set within a consolidated urban area, where the building occupies two opposing plots defined by distinct marginal planes. The design responds directly to a pronounced difference in elevation between these planes. By lifting part of the built volume, the project creates a void beneath the structure that operates as an active spatial condition. This void establishes visual and physical continuity across the site, allowing the urban fabric to remain legible while opening the block to movement and perception.
RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE
This decision introduces permeability at the scale of the city. The possibility of crossing the block reshapes how the surrounding area is experienced, expanding the perception of urban space and allowing it to operate as a fluid sequence rather than a closed perimeter. The project mediates carefully between human scale and urban scale, contributing to a clearer reading of the city’s structure without imposing formal dominance.
Within this framework, the unbuilt interior portion of the plot accommodates a shared public-private garden. This space functions as a zone of retreat that remains embedded in the city’s daily rhythm. The garden offers moments of isolation and pause while maintaining proximity to urban life, reinforcing the idea that withdrawal and engagement can coexist within the same architectural system.
The architectural volumes reflect dynamics typical of neighborhood-scale development. Each volume engages in constant interaction with the others, forming a system defined by proximity and dialogue. These volumes connect through a semi-underground parking structure that benefits from natural ventilation. This approach supports environmental performance while maintaining continuity across the site, integrating infrastructure into the spatial logic of the project.
Ernesto do Canto adopts an inward-looking organization that prioritizes interior gardens and shared circulation areas. These spaces extend the notion of habitation beyond the limits of the private dwelling, allowing exterior areas to function as lived environments rather than residual zones. The project defines thresholds with precision, particularly where the building meets the marginal planes.
Within the dense fabric of São Pedro in Ponta Delgada, the project introduces a deliberate spatial decompression. This gesture creates a productive tension between the existing urban condition and an alternative way of occupying the city. The intervention alters perception without erasing context, offering a renewed approach to urban living that respects scale, continuity, and coexistence.
Units range from one to five bedrooms, supporting a wide spectrum of family structures and living arrangements. This variety encourages social interaction and demographic balance, factors that contribute directly to the resilience of neighborhoods and the cohesion of urban communities.
Through its spatial strategies, Ernesto do Canto addresses challenges inherent to urban growth and integration. The project reasserts the fundamental purpose of dwelling as participation in the city, allowing residents to benefit from collective life.
Project name:Ernesto do Canto
Architecture Office: BOX arquitectos
Main Architect: Bárbara Morgado & Óscar Catarino
Collaboration: Fabiana Velho Cabral, Emanuel Gomes, Marilia Hipólito
Location: Ponta Delgada, São Pedro, Açores, Portugal
Year of Conclusion: 2025
Total Area: 5290 m²
Construction: MARQUES S.A.
Inspection: VHM fiscalização
Engineering: Engenharia e Consultoria
Landscape: Traços na Paisagem / BOX arquitectos
Acoustic Design: Espaço Civil
Fluids Engineering: Campo D’Agua
Fire safety, air conditioning and air renewal systems: ProM&E consulting
Thermal Engineering: ProM&E consulting
Architectural Photographer: Ivo Tavares Studio
