You can't judge a book by its cover, nor a home by its name, and Ring House is a case in point. Though one might imagine it to be a smooth, circular house, the weekend retreat for a family of four in Santarem, Portugal, is in fact a regular rectangle, with sharp edges and nary a curve in sight.
Ring House is built with three distinct areas: the social area, the service area, and the private area. The social area faces south, toward the street, which gives it the symbolic function of welcoming in the outside world. The private area, conversely, looks northward, giving the residents a respite from the pace of society when they need it. Finally, the service area contains rooms like the kitchen, bathroom, and various storage spaces.
Image Credit: José Campos
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Sharp-edged Homes
- Opportunity for architects to design homes with sharp edges and distinct areas, providing unique living experiences.
- Symbolic Function of Architecture
- Opportunity for architects to incorporate symbolic functions into the design of homes, such as welcoming the outside world or providing a respite from society.
- Distinct Areas in Home Design
- Opportunity for architects to create homes with distinct areas, such as social, service, and private areas, providing functional and practical spaces for residents.
Where This Applies
- Architectural Design
- The architectural design industry has opportunities to create new and unique living experiences through the use of sharp edges, symbolic functions, and distinct areas.
- Real Estate
- The real estate industry has opportunities to market and sell homes that incorporate unique architectural design features such as sharp edges and distinct areas.
- Construction
- The construction industry has opportunities to apply new technologies and materials towards the construction of homes with unique architectural designs such as sharp edges and distinct areas.
