Residential Architecture for the Home Away

Approaching Praia de Covões, on Portugal’s west coast, you can sense the Atlantic. Close to the beach, a new villa has been designed by Darling Associates.

Sustainable Lifestyle

A zero carbon, off grid house that will self-generate its own power and extract its own water, the Praia de Covões villa settles harmoniously into the rocky coastal eco system, letting nature take centre stage with its presence only just discernible in that narrow strip between coastal hinterland and sandy beach.

Reuse, Remake

This area of Óbidos in Portugal lies some 95 km north of Lisbon and is a protected reserve, reflecting this status, the new villa reuses original foundations and some masonry elements from a previous abandoned structure. Cladding will be salvaged timber with some elements recovered from the beach high tide mark. The layout maximises views out over the ocean, towards the unimaginably beautiful sunsets, and will provide a near perfect environment for family life, in harmony with the local nature and ecology.