Treetop House by Marques Franco Arquitectos

ByJon Dykstra March 3, 2021April 29, 2021 Houses

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Architect: João Marques Franco
Area: 140.50m2
Photography: Primeiro Plano Audiovisual
Year: 2020

Design Team: Marques Franco Arquitectos
Engineering Studies: Ricardo José de Abreu dos Santos Pena
General Building Company: Vodul
Client: Graça Pires, Emanuel Pio

This is an aerial view of the house that is complemented by the surrounding landscape of tall trees.

The surrounding treetops and foliage pairs well with the house exterior.

The surrounding thick foliage of treetops pair well with the bright colors of the house.

This view of the house's concrete balcony makes it blend with the surrounding landscape.

The concrete balcony as railings for safety and has a concrete cover above.

This is a farther view of the house that is almost hidden behind the thick foliage of trees.

This side of the house has multiple glass walls that look out and open to the surrounding landscape and balcony.

This is a closer look at the balcony of the upper level of the house that has large sliding glass doors.

This is a close look at the railings of the balcony that seem to blend with the surrounding foliage of tall trees.

This is a close look at the upper corner of the house to show how the concrete and glass are hidden by the foliage of tall trees.

This is a glimpse of the balcony door that is almost hidden by the thick foliage on the side.

This is a close look at the tall trees and trunks that hides the house behind its foliage.

This is a close look at the interior of the house with glass walls on two sides looking out to the surrounding tall trees.

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These glass walls bring in an abundance of natural lighting for the bedroom.

The shiny gray floor of the bedroom contrasts with the dark concrete matte ceiling.

The spacious bedroom also has bright white walls that pair well with the white bed brightened by the natural lights.

This is the bathroom with a rustic wooden vanity across from the modern floating toilet.

This is a close look at the glass doors of the bedroom and how it divides the balcony and the nedroom areas.

This is the living room that has a dark sofa on side across from the dark coffee table.

On the far side of the living room is the glass wall and the balcony beyond it with view of the trees.

This is another view of the living room showcasing a floating modern fireplace.

Next to the fireplace is the dining area with a long rectangular dining table surrounded by colorful chairs.

This is another view of the modern black fireplace and its proximity to the dining area.

This is another look at the dining area showcasing the various colorful chairs.

This is a close look at the modern kitchen island that has an attached white table paired with white chairs.

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The large white kitchen island is topped with a row of pendant lights hanging from the concrete ceiling.

The large white modern kitchen island has an attached white table paired with white modern chairs for a breakfast nook.

The white modern cabinetry and counter of the kitchen island are brightened by the natural lights coming in from the glass wall.

The large white kitchen island is topped with a row of various colorful pendant lights hanging from the gray concrete ceiling.

This is another view of the living room from the vantage of the dining area showcasing the modern floating fireplace.

This is a closer look at the balcony outside the glass walls with a concrete walkwaya nd metal rialings.

This is a closer look at the corner of the kitchen island fitted with a sink area brightened by the natural lights.

This is a close look at the corner of the concrete balcony complemented by the surrounding thick foliage of trees.

This is a close look at the white leather lounge chair on the far corner of the living room that serves as a reading nook.

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This is another close look at the hanging fireplace with a view of the dining area behind it.

This is another close look at the dining area bathed in natural lighting from the glass walls.

This is the home office with a large white built-in shelf on the wall across from the wooden desk and the glass walls.

This is another look at the dining area that has a rectangular wooden dining table surrounded by the colorful chairs.

This is a closer look at the wooden dining table and its texture paired iwth modern chairs.

This is a close look at a decoration placed on top of the dark wooden console of the living room area.

This is a close look at the concrete cover above the balcony complemented by the foliage of the trees.

This is a view of the house that is almost completely hidden away by the surrounding thick foliage of tall trees.

This is an illustration of the main level floor plan.

This is an illustration of the roof level floor plan.

This is an illustration of the various elevations and cross sections of the house.

This house was designed around the premise that, in such a special place, architecture couldn’t ever compete or obstruct the nature around it. In order to fulfill that goal, the building was placed to be as close as possible to the century-old oaks and chestnuts without ever touching them. The house is reached from above and placed on a sharp slope, this combination of factors places the eye level of the habitants in line with the top of the tree, in permanent color shift and movement motivated by the wind.

Located in the north of Portugal, where the vegetation is both dense and always shifting this house aims at getting better, more closely connected to nature; in the short period of construction that is already visible, vines start to take control and the higher branches are already touching the glass, the fusion has started.

From the inside that connection is obvious, the exterior walls are all glass and it’s the furniture that defines the living spaces among an open floor plan, it’s always possible to see through the different spaces, the vegetation outside.

The amazing owners, Graça Pires and Emanuel Pio, a painter and a history art teacher, were instrumental to the process and gave us complete autonomy, with their spirit and such an amazing place all we tried to do was to make the house get out of the way.

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Jon Dykstra

Jon practiced law before launching his online publishing career, bringing analytical rigor to everything he builds. Home Stratosphere combines that precision with a lifelong obsession with residential design — architecture, interiors, landscape, and furniture.

His current focus is AI-driven design analysis, using artificial intelligence to study patterns in color, layout, and material choice across thousands of homes. His Personality Type Home Design Guide applies personality frameworks to interior aesthetics, helping readers design spaces that reflect how they actually think and live.

His favorite piece on the site is the 25 Most Popular Designs, is a daily-updated ranking of the top designs over the last 30 days, driven entirely by visitor activity. The feedback is invaluable for understanding what resonates most with readers. LinkedIn

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