On the southern coast of São Miguel Island, Casa CR settles among basalt boulders and dry vegetation with composure. Designed by SO Arquitetura & Design, the 250-square-metre residence responds to an irregular volcanic terrain without attempting to domesticate it. The clients, a couple in their eighties, chose to begin again. That decision shapes the architecture with clarity and restraint.
HOUSING
The house lands lightly across the site, its horizontal concrete canopy extending like a wing above the landscape. The gesture carries personal resonance: the owner once served as an Air Force pilot during the colonial war. The metaphor remains subtle, expressed through proportion and projection rather than literal reference. The canopy floats above glazed façades that open directly to garden and horizon, offering shelter without enclosure.
Casa CR unfolds on a single level, prioritizing accessibility and continuity. Circulation remains direct and unobstructed. The plan reads as transparent and calm, structured around a central tropical courtyard that draws light and air deep into the interior. Cross ventilation moves naturally through the space, reducing reliance on mechanical systems while reinforcing a constant relationship with the outdoors.
Material selection grounds the architecture in sensory experience. Concrete defines the structural framework and canopy, while wood-lined interiors soften the atmosphere and introduce warmth. From any point in the house, the exterior remains visible, whether through expansive glazing toward the Atlantic or across the courtyard garden. The visual field remains continuous, dissolving hard boundaries between inside and outside.
The courtyard operates as environmental moderator and spatial anchor. It creates a protected microclimate within the volcanic terrain, balancing exposure and shelter. This measured interplay between mass and void allows the house to inhabit the slope with dignity. The design does not compete with the dramatic geology of the Azores; it acknowledges it.
Casa CR advances an architecture of essential gestures. The project avoids excess and relies instead on matter, light, and air calibrated to daily rhythm. In Lagoa, amid basalt and sea wind, SO Arquitetura & Design deliver a home that reflects experience, renewal, and the quiet confidence of living deliberately.
Architecture: SO Arquitetura & Design
Main Architects: Bruno Furtado and Gonçalo Blétière Lopes
Location: Lagoa, São Miguel, Azores
Year: 2025
Area: 250 m²
Builder: Tecnicouto, Lda
Engineering: Teorema Contínuo – Unipessoal Lda
Landscape and Interior Design: SO Arquitetura & Design
Photography: Ivo Tavares Studio
