Paradinha 11 Cabins on Portugal's Paiva Riverside

A tourist room located on a slope on the banks of the Paiva River, Portugal, has been used as an inn for rent. The cabin owner wanted several tourist rooms up the slope, but SUMMARY–the architectural studio that handled the project, proposed building a small house that is not just rooms so that some of them can be used for long-term "savings" that are not only used during the season of vacation only.

(random arrangement of directions for each house)

Finally, to respond to the owner's needs, SUMMARY built 11 small cabins at the site location called Paradinha 11 Cabins In The Woods, with the concept of combining tourism and housing functions. In addition, a multifunctional approach is also applied in increasing the intensity of visitors staying temporarily in these small cabins. So to maintain the quality of the cabins, building maintenance, environmental areas, and security need to be improved.

(the eleven cabins that have different typologies)

This project is an opportunity to create a new experience in the Gomos building system. Gomos Building is a collection of house designs that each house has all the technical installations such as; water, electricity, and climate. The installation is integrated into one module and multiplied by other models. This system is applied to speed up the production and assembly process.

(secondary skin on the terrace for added privacy)

SUMMARY worked on this project by building 11 small cabins of various sizes, ranging from 28 square meters to 58 square meters. These eleven small cabins are “spread out” across the sloped area of the Paiva River which has been arranged. Because it is on a slope and the surrounding environment is a natural site, there are lots of natural elements that surround it.

Therefore, SUMMARY continues to preserve the old stones and trees by placing each building with care. In addition, the different directions of facing the cabin also affect the comfort of visitors, because their privacy can be safe and natural views are not blocked by the building in front of them. The views directly overlook the forest and the Paiva River.

(an expansive natural view on the terrace of each unit)

Concrete is the dominant material in these 11 small buildings. Concrete is not only applied to the exterior but also to the interior. On the exterior, concrete can withstand the weather so that the temperature inside the house becomes more stable, while on the interior the use of concrete is to maintain its industrial feel. On the floor of the terrace area using wood materials increase physical and visual comfort and there is a secondary skin to filter the view towards the forest and river. Each unit consists of a living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom.

(interior space without partition)

(there is also a wider house typology)

The solution that SUMMARY is trying to present and realize is a unique and interesting area. Even though it has a small building volume, the facilities in it are still the same as normal residences, with natural views of the forest and the Paiva River.

Section and floorplan