Firstly designed as a sales pavilion for a wine resort, this structure was redeveloped to create a modular housing unit on the countryside. It consisted of two rectangular containers separated by a patio, sitting on a square platform. The containers were built with steel beams and clad in precast fiberglass panels, allowing for easy assemblage and transportation. Both had mahogany flooring inside, to infuse some domestic flair. One of them included kitchen, bathroom, and fireplace to ensure basic support. Hardware such as antennas, water tanks, and solar panels crowded the roof on top. The other container remained empty, uncluttered for the purpose of dwelling. These units could be duplicated and combined into several layouts, producing an endless field of Existenzminimum.
Date: 2008 | Location: Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal | Client: Sousa Cunhal Turismo | Architecture: Patrícia Barbas, Diogo Lopes