Archipelago of nine houses redefines residential design in Portugal
Apaulinha project blends architectural individuality with natural landscape continuity
1Architectural archipelago concept
Designed by Policrónica Studio and Ambre Babzoe Marazzi, Apaulinha comprises nine unique houses across 12 hectares of cork-oak landscape near Melides, Portugal. Unlike conventional housing developments, the 'domestic archipelago' concept features eight new residences and an existing farmhouse. Each building has a distinct design shaped by its specific topography, vegetation patterns, and solar orientation, creating site-specific architectural responses.
2Context-responsive design
Every residence in Apaulinha responds directly to its micro-location conditions. The terrain's natural features—including existing vegetation, shade patterns, and view corridors—determine each house's form and spatial organization. Instead of a uniform architectural language, this dialogue with nature gives every structure unique character. All homes share fundamental principles of natural light, cross-ventilation, and seamless indoor-outdoor transitions.
3Transitions over boundaries
Apaulinha redefines privacy through spatial transitions rather than physical barriers. Each residence occupies over one hectare, maintaining visual continuity across the landscape. The project eliminates traditional perimeter walls and access roads, instead using the natural terrain itself to establish varying degrees of privacy. This approach allows buildings to inhabit the land without dominating it, creating subtle hierarchies between private and shared spaces.
4Distributed amenities
The project replaces centralized clubhouse facilities with landscape-integrated amenities. A natural lake serves as flexible gathering space for swimming and relaxation throughout the day. Additional facilities include a thermal area with timber sauna and cold plunge, movement studio, sports court, children's space, and 'The Shelter'—a partially buried structure housing an evening bar. These elements function as optional social nodes rather than mandatory resort-style features.
5Material integrity
Policrónica's integrated approach to architecture, design and fabrication manifests in every detail of Apaulinha—from custom furniture to lighting elements. Material strategies developed for previous hospitality projects were adapted here to create residential atmospheres through everyday object relationships. Each component followed a seamless workflow from design to prototyping to production, ensuring cohesive material expression across scales.
6Layered privacy system
The project establishes graduated transitions between private and collective realms. Moving from interior spaces to protected courtyards, through vegetated pathways, to shared destinations like the lake and Shelter, this layered system allows residents to modulate their engagement levels. This spatial sequence challenges conventional binaries of private homes versus communal facilities, offering more nuanced living experience.
7Contextual luxury
Apaulinha redefines luxury through contextual harmony rather than ostentatious details. Each residence creates its own microclimate responding to Alentejo's regional character. The cork-oak forest texture, Atlantic breezes, and distinctive light quality inform fundamental design parameters. Sustainability emerges not as added feature but as inherent design logic, with passive strategies shaping architectural form and spatial organization.
8New residential paradigm
Apaulinha proposes an alternative to standardized housing models through landscape continuity, architectural variation, and spatial flexibility. This model balances individual autonomy with collective experiences, questioning traditional divisions between private residences and hospitality venues. By combining strengths of both typologies, the project suggests new living formats for contemporary residential developments, where quality emerges from specific responses rather than generic luxury signifiers.