Casa Terra
Comporta, Portugal
South elevation — cantilevered volume over reflecting pool
Living space — double-height volume with north-facing glazing
Entrance courtyard — rammed earth and slatted timber screen
Kitchen — board-formed concrete ceiling with walnut joinery
Ground floor plan — 1:200
Section A-A — east-west through living volume
Night elevation — interior warmth through full-height glazing
Material detail — rammed earth meets polished concrete
About the Project
Casa Terra emerges from the sandy landscape of Comporta as a meditation on the relationship between architecture and earth. The residence is organized around a central courtyard that channels prevailing Atlantic breezes through the interior spaces, creating a passive cooling system that reduces energy consumption by forty percent compared to conventional construction.
The material palette draws directly from the site — rammed earth walls use soil excavated during foundation work, while the timber screen that wraps the upper volume is sourced from sustainably managed local pine forests. Board-formed concrete provides structural counterpoint, its rough texture echoing the horizontal striations of the rammed earth.
A cantilevered upper volume extends over a shallow reflecting pool at the south elevation, providing shade to the ground-floor living spaces during summer months while allowing low winter sun to penetrate deep into the plan. This passive solar strategy, combined with the thermal mass of the rammed earth walls, maintains comfortable interior temperatures year-round without mechanical heating or cooling.