- Project: GD House
- Architect: ESQUISSOS
- Location: Portugal, Sintra
- Year: 2023
- Area: 131 m2
- Photography: Ivo Tavares Studio
GD House by ESQUISSOS – Architecture and Consultation in Sintra, Portugal, is a refined example of how small-scale architecture can achieve both elegance and spatial innovation. Built on a compact site surrounded by pre-existing buildings, the project maximizes natural light and proportions while respecting the historic character of its context.
Project Overview
At just over 131 m², GD House faced the dual challenges of limited size and dense surroundings. The architects responded with a design that balances contemporary minimalism with references to the traditional architecture of Cascais, ensuring integration with the existing streetscape.
Despite its small footprint, the house unfolds across four levels, each carefully arranged to optimize space, natural light, and circulation.
Design Concept: Scale, Proportion & Identity
The project’s guiding principle was the relationship between scale and proportion. ESQUISSOS worked to reinterpret local building traditions while giving the home a distinctly modern identity.
The façades reflect the architectural vocabulary of the street, maintaining the village’s identity while introducing clean lines and contemporary detailing. By blending old and new, the design preserves memory while enhancing livability.
Spatial Organization & Staircase as Sculpture
The building is organized across four levels:
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Ground floor (street level): An open-plan living and dining area designed to feel spacious despite the compact site.
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Intermediate levels: Bedrooms and bathrooms, arranged to maximize comfort and privacy.
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Third floor: A recessed balcony that introduces light and outdoor space.
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Top level: A terrace formed by the subtraction of volume, providing outdoor views and private leisure space.
A central feature of GD House is its sculptural staircase, which connects three levels. Beginning as integrated furniture, it gradually dematerializes as it rises, becoming more permeable and transparent. This allows light to filter through, creating a stronger connection between floors while optimizing the use of vertical space.
Materiality & Atmosphere
The interior is defined by clean finishes and a restrained palette. Contemporary details emphasize simplicity, while subtle references to traditional local materials ensure the home remains rooted in its context.
Large openings introduce daylight into the compact spaces, further enhanced by the interplay of solid and void across balconies and terraces. The design creates an interior that feels more expansive than its modest square footage suggests.
GD House by ESQUISSOS – Architecture and Consultation demonstrates how limitations of size and context can inspire architectural innovation. By combining thoughtful proportions, a sculptural vertical circulation, and a sensitive relationship with its surroundings, the project achieves a modern home that is both respectful of local identity and boldly contemporary.
This residence proves that even within a constrained footprint, architecture can deliver spaciousness, light, and elegance.
