Casa FJ / MIL870 + GRAUON

Architects: MIL870, GRAUON
Area: 735 m²
Year: 2025
Photography: Ivo Tavares Studio
Lead Architects: Mário Jorge, Liane Dias Costa
Builder: CCR Eng e Construção
Inspection: GRAUON
Engineering: GRAUON
Landscape Design: PAP 2025
Lighting Design: MIL870
Acoustic Design: GRAUON
Fluids Engineering: GRAUON
Thermal Engineering: GRAUON
Interior Design: MIL870
City: Póvoa de Varzim
Country: Portugal

Casa FJ, designed by MIL870 and GRAUON, is a 735-square-meter residence completed in 2025 in Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal. Developed for a family of four, the house occupies two adjoining plots within a residential neighborhood composed of 28 semi-detached homes by the same developer. The project addresses the challenge of preserving the visual coherence of the existing development while creating a dwelling with a distinct spatial identity. Originally commissioned as an interior design project, the assignment evolved into a complete architectural intervention that retained the established rhythm of the street-facing façade while reimagining the home’s internal organization. The two-story residence separates social and private functions, with expansive living spaces on the ground floor opening toward the pool terrace and landscaped outdoor areas, while the upper level accommodates the family’s bedrooms and guest quarters. Through restrained architectural language and careful spatial planning, the project balances contextual continuity with contemporary domestic living, demonstrating how architectural refinement can emerge through proportion, organization, and the thoughtful relationship between interior and exterior spaces.

The architectural approach to Casa FJ is defined by continuity rather than contrast. Situated within a completed development of 28 semi-detached houses, the residence embraces the collective identity established throughout the neighborhood instead of competing with it. By maintaining the consistent rhythm of the street elevation, MIL870 and GRAUON reinforce the visual unity that characterized the original master plan while allowing the house to develop its own architectural expression beyond the public realm.

Occupying two adjacent plots, the residence benefits from an expanded footprint that creates opportunities for greater spatial flexibility. While the exterior maintains a restrained presence toward the street, the architecture gradually opens toward the interior of the site through larger glazed surfaces and direct connections to outdoor living spaces. This transition establishes a carefully balanced relationship between privacy and openness, allowing natural light and landscape to become integral components of the domestic experience.

The project’s evolution from an interior design commission into a comprehensive architectural intervention shaped its design strategy. Rather than altering the neighborhood’s established character, the architects reorganized the dwelling from within, demonstrating how thoughtful planning can transform everyday living without disrupting the surrounding urban fabric. The resulting architecture prioritizes functionality, clarity, and spatial continuity over formal gestures.

The ground floor accommodates the home’s shared functions, combining a four-car garage, office, gym, kitchen, and principal living room within an open yet carefully zoned arrangement. A secondary lounge extends the social program toward the outdoor terrace and swimming pool, strengthening the connection between interior and exterior spaces while supporting a variety of family activities throughout the day.

The upper floor provides a quieter domestic environment dedicated to private life. A master suite with a walk-in closet and an ensuite bathroom is accompanied by two children’s bedrooms and a guest room overlooking the double-height living area below. This arrangement reinforces visual connectivity while preserving intimacy, concluding a residential design that demonstrates how contextual sensitivity and carefully orchestrated spatial planning can create a home that is both cohesive within its setting and distinctly tailored to its occupants.