Planned for the lower levels of Bom Sucesso’s Phase 2, House Model 185 was envisioned as a modern villa harmonizing with the resort’s sloping terrain. Featuring a south-facing pool and a building layout designed to shield the outdoor living area from the prevailing north wind, it combined comfort, climate responsiveness, and contemporary elegance.

House 220 was conceived as an L-shaped villa crowned by a distinctive tower, designed to capture sweeping views over the Óbidos Lagoon, the town of Caldas da Rainha, and the distant Montejunto mountain range.
The layout balanced privacy and openness: the long wings embraced a sheltered courtyard, while the tower served as both an architectural statement and a vertical lookout. From its upper levels, residents would have enjoyed panoramic vistas that connected the home to its surrounding landscape.
Although never constructed, the design remains a striking example of how form, orientation, and elevation can work together to frame the beauty of Bom Sucesso’s setting.

Unrealized Project – Phase 3, Bom Sucesso Resort
Year: circa 2008
Location: Aldeamento da Floresta, Bom Sucesso, Óbidos – East slope of the valley near Hole 2 of the golf course
Project status: Preliminary study – Unbuilt

A sculpted hillside sequence between golf and sea

This housing project was designed for a challenging plot on the steep eastern slope of the valley surrounding Hole 2 of the Bom Sucesso golf course. The terrain drops over 40 meters in total, with this specific lot featuring a 5-meter elevation difference from its highest point at the southern road junction to its lowest point along the northern edge, adjacent to pedestrian access and Lot 415.

The project began with a unifying “gesture”: an architectural concept that sought to create visual and formal unity across the ensemble while ensuring equal solar exposure and privacy for each individual unit.

Three key principles shaped the design:
1. A closed northern façade, shielding the homes from the prevailing winds and concealing the technical infrastructure (solar panel systems) near Lot 415.
2. Southern openness, where interior spaces open toward the sun and private gardens.
3. Placement of the pool in the northeastern corner, offering a communal and scenic area overlooking the landscape.

The homes were conceived in a zigzag configuration, achieved through the alternating perpendicular placement of the housing volumes and the staggered arrangement of their respective terraces. This strategy created a flowing rhythm of private gardens, seamlessly connected to the street and the surrounding landscaped grounds. The zigzag geometry also enhanced protection from the northern wind and maximized panoramic views — eastward toward the golf course and westward to the Atlantic Ocean.

The proposed typology combined two levels:
• The lower level contained individual parking and storage volumes for each unit, anchored into the slope.
• The upper level housed the living spaces, elevated to engage with the views and natural light.

Though never realized, this project reflects a thoughtful and responsive approach to complex terrain and shared living — blending landscape, privacy, and geometry into a cohesive hillside ensemble.

Casa Bac was a design study for four detached T3 villas to be distributed across four plots (405, 406, 411, and 412) in the unbuilt Phase 3 of Bom Sucesso’s “Aldeamento da Floresta.” Though similar in size and layout, two variations were proposed depending on the lot location—reflecting differences in dimensions and topography and avoiding excessive formality in the street composition.

Each house was envisioned as a long, single-storey volume stretched diagonally across its lot. This gesture—“a long recline across the diagonal”—sought to establish an active relationship between architecture and land, between house and golf course, and between the homes themselves.

The homes would sit 5.5 meters back from the street, following master plan guidelines, and incorporate green roofs, gently resting within the site’s natural terrain. At both ends of the plan, more solid built volumes would hold the private zones: the bedrooms to the west, and kitchen and service spaces to the east. The central social space, glazed on both north and south sides, acted as a transparent bridge mediating between the two zones and inviting cross-views and garden connections.

Internally, the design broke from traditional domestic layouts. Formal circulation spaces and hallways were minimized or eliminated altogether. Instead, the layout used 50 cm level shifts and gentle spatial twists to define room transitions, encouraging a more relaxed, informal way of inhabiting the space.

Though never realized, Casa Bac reveals the architects’ intention to design not just a house, but a looser mode of living—where spatial boundaries are softened, architecture dialogues with the terrain, and the rhythm of repetition along the street becomes a quiet choreography of variation.

Casa R was planned for Phase 3 of the Bom Sucesso resort—on two adjacent forest plots (408 and 410)—but was never built. The project explores how a house might occupy the center of an elongated plot with proportions of roughly 1.5:1 in length to width, responding to its surroundings in all directions, with a particular emphasis on the Southeast to Southwest quadrant.

A continuous height of 3.00 meters was adopted throughout the house, while the overall volume was intentionally varied to express the different interior zones. The ends of the building are dense and closed: one side housing the private bedroom wing (to the west), the other the service and kitchen areas (to the northeast). In between lies the open-plan social space—a glass-fronted, light-filled volume mediating between the two ends of the house.

The south-facing façade features a large curved glazing—extending from SE to SW—that brings in light and frames views of the surrounding forest. A bow window on the north side opens toward a more intimate garden space. Together, these glass elements create a dynamic core for the home: a social space suspended between privacy and openness.

Inside, a carefully composed sequence allows for partial views into the living areas upon entry—revealed but not exposed. The main bedroom is located on one side of the central volume, while two additional bedrooms occupy the opposite end. The northeast kitchen restores orthogonality to the overall plan and gives access to a rooftop terrace, offering sweeping views of the golf course, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Berlengas Islands on the western horizon.

Though never built, Casa R exemplifies the architectural intentions of Bom Sucesso’s Phase 3—marked by sculptural clarity, a strong relationship to landscape, and formal experimentation within a modernist vocabulary.

This distinctive villa in Santo Tirso is an exceptional example of architectural continuity across generations of the Porto School. Originally designed in the 1970s by Noé Diniz, a key figure in Northern Portugal’s modernist movement and early mentor to Eduardo Souto de Moura, the house exemplifies a refined blend of mid-century modernism and vernacular Portuguese design.

The main residence features:
• Clean horizontal lines anchored into the terrain
• Rich wood-paneled ceilings and traditional tiled floors
• Stone fireplaces and thoughtful natural ventilation
• Careful modulation of interior light through deep eaves and patio windows

The architectural narrative is extended through a later addition by architect Maria Luísa Penha Souto de Moura, whose work brings a more expressive and contemporary layer to the site. Her pavilion — set slightly apart from the main house — is constructed in textured red concrete, with bold framing and large windows that open fully to the surrounding landscape. It serves as a multipurpose annex for guests, creative work, or retreat.

Together, these two buildings establish a rare architectural dialogue between eras, materials, and sensibilities — connected by their shared commitment to place, proportion, and light.

Set within a lush 2,380 m² plot, the architecture is supported — rather than overshadowed — by its context. A saltwater pool, tennis court, and a lotus-filled lake define the outer limits of the property without interrupting the villa’s calm geometry.

This property stands as a testament to the continuity and evolution of Portuguese modern architecture — a place where tradition and innovation coexist.

The Phase 3 area, intended as an extension of the existing Bom Sucesso Resort, occupies a plot currently covered by an eucalyptus plantation, located west of the original development. The natural topography guided the design strategy, determining the positioning, shape, and type of both roads and constructions in a way that now feels both obvious and entirely integrated with the landscape.

The core principle of the plan was to preserve and enhance the site’s topographical qualities. Buildings were to be placed along the hilltops and hillsides, while the central valley would remain free of any construction, maintaining an open landscape. The roads would follow the ridgelines, leading to three distinctive topographical points that define the structure of the entire plan.

The design envisioned a continuous landscape where public spaces and private gardens blend seamlessly into one unified environment. All buildings were planned to be painted white, emphasizing the clean, contemporary aesthetic and reinforcing the visual coherence of the development within its natural surroundings.

This house was designed as part of Phase 3 of Bom Sucesso Resort, a phase that was never realized. The architecture follows a protective and introverted layout: the volumes form a U-shape, closed to the outside, ensuring privacy and shelter from the surrounding roads. The house opens exclusively towards the west, facing the shared valley landscape.

The entrance is located at the central courtyard, accessible from the southern façade. Along the eastern side, the bedrooms and laundry open onto private patios, providing both light and protection from the road. The western wing hosts the kitchen and living areas, extending into a covered porch that offers unobstructed views over the valley.

The design features light green plastered walls and a roof covered with vegetation, allowing the house to blend harmoniously into the surrounding landscape while maintaining a contemporary aesthetic.

This house was originally designed as part of Phase 3 of the Bom Sucesso Resort Masterplan, a phase that ultimately was not executed. The design followed the resort’s overall architectural vision, combining contemporary aesthetics with integration into the natural landscape of Óbidos Lagoon.

The house featured clean geometric lines, open-plan interiors, and expansive glass façades to create a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor living spaces. Generous terraces, patios, and a private pool were planned to take advantage of the mild Portuguese climate and panoramic views over the golf course and surrounding nature.

Though never built, this design reflects the ambition of Bom Sucesso’s third development phase to continue attracting world-class architecture and creating exclusive, modern living experiences in harmony with the resort’s environment.

Lot 429 to 433

In the historic neighborhood of Ajuda, where Lisbon’s cultural heritage meets contemporary architecture, stands a truly unique 3-bedroom detached villa that redefines modern urban living. Designed by acclaimed Portuguese architect Manuel Aires Mateus, this striking home combines minimalist lines, sculpted volumes, and a seamless dialogue between interior and exterior spaces. More than just a house, it is a spatial experience—of light, silence, and timeless sophistication.

Spread across four levels, this villa offers an exclusive lifestyle with refined comfort and elegance. Just minutes from the Tagus River and with immediate access to the motorway, it perfectly balances serene privacy with urban convenience. The private garden—a rare luxury in the city—invites moments of relaxation, social gatherings, or quiet contemplation, all bathed in Lisbon’s iconic natural light.

Featuring high-end finishes, thoughtful design details, a garage, storage space, and premium materials, this residence embodies contemporary living at its finest. Every element has been carefully crafted to offer lasting elegance, comfort, and a sense of retreat—right in the vibrant heart of Lisbon.

More than a home. A piece of architecture.