A courtyard-focused villa where contemporary architecture calibrates shade, openness, and the coastal forest landscape.
Project Overview
The house prioritizes privacy and orientation while maintaining close visual contact with the forest. A restrained material palette—white plastered walls, wood, glass, natural stone, and polished concrete—supports a clear spatial idea: interior life extends outward to shaded patios and garden rooms.
Daylight enhances the clean lines of the villa against blue skies and verdant surroundings.
Site and Urban Context
Set within sandy soils and Mediterranean vegetation, the villa reads as a low, bright figure among dark vertical trunks. Native dune planting is kept in place between paths and platforms, while Italian cypress and strawberry trees contribute shade and microclimate around the courtyard.
Comparable landscape-led residential strategies are evident in Casa Eva and Modular Harmony in East Hampton, where building lines negotiate privacy, light, and woodland edges. For broader typological parallels within planted settings, see our Landscape Architecture collection.
Design Concept in Contemporary Architecture
The form traces site contours to create a sheltered interior court. White planar walls and deep eaves produce a clear graphic against the pines while controlling solar exposure. Views are directed outward to the canopy and inward to the reflective pool, with the courtyard acting as the project’s climatic and social core.
During warmer months, retractable glazing allows the main living spaces to operate as covered outdoor rooms. Vertical timber screens add depth and cadence to longer elevations, softening light and contributing a finer-grain texture to the minimalist geometry.
A top-down perspective of the property showcasing the pool and surrounding gardens.
Spatial Organization
Public living spaces occupy the central volume, opening onto terraces and the courtyard pool. A black-framed internal glass partition defines the dining area while preserving light and cross-views. Circulation is handled by long, daylighted passages that terminate in framed views of trees, sand, and sky.
The private wing extends east with three en-suite bedrooms, each with a balcony oriented to sunrise and a narrow herb-planted terrace. A home office addresses the forest edge; a media room provides a more enclosed, low-light retreat. Stairs rise to a rooftop terrace above the flat roofline, introducing an elevated vantage across the pine canopy.
Materials and Facade
Exterior walls are rendered white, emphasizing mass and shadow. Timber brise-soleils and extended roof overhangs temper solar gain and add a measured rhythm. Glazing is used at large scale along the western edge facing the courtyard; inside, black-framed glass partitions manage transparency without sacrificing acoustic separation. Stone is employed in landscape elements, including limestone stepping paths and masonry benches, while polished concrete floors register shifting light throughout the day.
Light, Climate, and Atmosphere
Daily cycles of sun and shade are central to the project. Overhangs and vertical screens moderate intensity, and retractable walls expand the interior during favorable weather. The pool mirrors canopy movement and sky color, setting a calm tone for outdoor rooms with varied exposure—some fully sunlit, others cooled by trees and pergolas. The approach relates to timber-and-stone residential work in wooded contexts such as Lake House . Kownatki.
Design Highlights
- L Shaped Massing Creates A Protected Courtyard That Structures Views and Privacy.
- Retractable Glazing Opens The Main Living Spaces Directly To Terraces and The Pool.
- White Plastered Volumes and Deep Roof Overhangs Register Sun and Shadow With Clarity.
- Timber Brise Soleils Introduce Vertical Rhythm While Moderating Solar Gain.
- Landscape Preserves Native Dune Vegetation, Complemented By Cypress and Strawberry Trees for Shade.
- Rooftop Terrace Provides An Elevated Outlook Over The Pine Canopy.
Key Facts
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Project | Casa na Comporta |
| Architect | Sabrab Architecture |
| Location | Comporta, Portugal |
| Program | Single-family villa organized around a central courtyard with living areas opening to terraces, three en-suite bedrooms, rooftop terrace, and pool |
| Main Materials | White plaster/stucco, timber brise-soleils, large-format glass, natural stone, polished concrete, limestone stepping stones |
| Status | Built |
| Keywords | contemporary architecture, villa design, courtyard house, landscape integration |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed the project?
Sabrab Architecture led the architectural design, with interior design and landscaping by Cassia Bardoe.
What is the plan type?
An L-shaped plan organized around a central courtyard and reflective pool.
How is the facade detailed?
White plastered walls, deep roof overhangs, and timber brise-soleils pair with large-format glazing.
How are interiors connected to the landscape?
Retractable glass walls open living areas to terraces; long corridors and framed openings maintain continuous views to trees and sky.
How many bedrooms are there?
The private wing contains three en-suite bedrooms with east-facing balconies and herb-lined terraces.