A low-angle exterior photograph of the Jardim do Mar Houses, showcasing the integration of the modern, gabled wooden structure on a steep coastal slope, held by massive, historic basalt stone terrace walls, with the Atlantic Ocean on the horizon under a clear sky.

Jardim do Mar Houses and Contemporary Living

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Massing Formation and Topographical Response

The project emerges from a narrow L-shaped plot situated on the coastal slopes of Jardim do Mar village on Madeira Island, where the design capitalizes on the existing agricultural terraces to organize the architectural program across two separate levels. The two studio apartments were arranged vertically in accordance with the site’s natural gradient, minimizing structural intervention while preserving the direct relationship between architecture and terrain. The northwest orientation also informed the placement of the main openings, framing ocean views and introducing natural daylight into the interior spaces.

ItemDetails
ArchitectsMayer & Selders
Area110 m²
Year2016
ManufacturersEzarri, Alunik, Atlantic Wood, BRUMA, Duarte Abreu, Revigres
CoordinatorDirk Mayer
Structural EngineeringLuis Canha
ConstructorTomas Canha
AuthorDirk Mayer
Design TeamDirk Mayer, Susanne Selders, Elizabeth Nobrega
MunicipalityCalheta
CountryPortugal
A high-angle exterior view looking across the wooden gabled roof of the upper house at Jardim do Mar. Solar panels are mounted on the lower section, and the house has views over the vast Atlantic Ocean and the vertical cliffs of the Madeira coastline.
The view from above reveals the project’s environmental consideration, featuring solar panels on a lower roof section. The simple gabled form of the upper house points towards the massive, dramatic cliffs of the village.
An interior perspective of the upper apartment at Jardim do Mar, showing the full-height space with exposed wooden roof trusses and a sleeping mezzanine above. Light wood is used for the floor, cabinetry, and stairs, which also serve as storage and integrate a small counter, creating an efficient, multi-functional furniture element. Large sliding glass doors lead to a balcony with sea views.
The upper apartment leverages its vertical space with a double-height volume and a sleeping loft. The integrated furniture element combines the kitchen, storage, and stairs to free up living area, a solution to spatial limitation.

Local Materiality and Preservation of Site Identity

The existing basalt stone wall constitutes one of the project’s defining elements, as the architects chose to preserve and integrate it into the new composition rather than remove it. This decision reflects a direct connection to the site’s traditional agricultural landscape, where dry-stone walls have historically been used to shape terraced fields. As a result, the new architectural volume appears as a natural extension of the existing structure rather than an independent insertion.

Interior Organization and Spatial Experience

The lower apartment offers a spatial experience based on horizontal continuity through an open-plan layout that combines living, cooking, and dining functions within a single space oriented toward the coastal landscape. In contrast, the upper apartment adopts a vertical organization that takes advantage of a double-height volume and a gabled roof, with an internal staircase leading to a mezzanine sleeping area. This contrast between horizontal and vertical movement gives each unit a distinct spatial character despite the limited floor area.

A precise black and white axonometric drawing of the two interconnected Jardim do Mar Houses. The drawing shows the lower studio with its large terrace and the separate upper gabled studio, detailing how they are vertically stacked on the slope. It illustrates the exposed wooden structure, roof skylights, and a custom-integrated multi-functional furniture unit.
This axonometric drawing from MAYER SELders clearly details the architectural logic: two separate vertical studios, stacked on the slope. It illustrates the internal organization and the precise condensation of functions into key furniture elements.
A architectural floor plan drawing showing two levels for the Jardim do Mar Houses: the Groundfloor and Firstfloor. Both are compact studios with kitchenettes and bathrooms. The drawings indicate large outdoor terraces, a pedestrian path with stairs, and the surrounding stone-walled plot boundaries.
The project floor plans, Groundfloor and Firstfloor, show the extreme spatial economy. Both are compact self-contained units with minimal floor area, oriented towards their specific terraces.
An exterior view from an upper perspective looking down at the gabled wooden house at Jardim do Mar during sunset. The house is built on a stone-walled slope, with a pedestrian path and stairs leading towards the rocky ocean coastline in the background.
A sunset view of the Jardim do Mar house. The dark wood cladding and simple form respect the local context. Below, a historic pedestrian path, a vital connection for the village, runs along the coastline.
An exterior view from a lower level looking up at the tiered garden terraces of the Jardim do Mar Houses. The foreground has a well-maintained garden with various small trees, vegetables, and circular-patterned gravel paths. Above, the modern, dark wooden houses are nestled into the steep slope, held by ancient basalt stone walls.
The landscaping around the Jardim do Mar houses is an organic expansion of the traditional agricultural terraces. It features organic gardens with fruit trees and vegetables, integrating natural elements as part of the daily domestic landscape.

Functional Compression and Relationship with the Exterior Landscape

In response to the restricted footprint, the staircase, kitchen, storage area, and dining table were consolidated into a single multifunctional furniture element, maximizing the amount of usable living space. The residential experience extends outdoors through a lower terrace featuring a small swimming pool composed of two intersecting circular basins and organic gardens planted with fruit trees and vegetables, allowing natural elements to become an integral part of everyday life.

Construction Challenges and Execution

The site imposed significant logistical constraints due to difficult access and the inability to use heavy machinery, requiring construction materials to be transported manually over a distance of approximately 50 meters. These conditions directly influenced the construction methodology, which relied on restrained and precise building solutions suited to the site’s sensitivity while minimizing disruption to its existing natural structure.

An interior photograph of the lower apartment in the Jardim do Mar houses, viewed from the living area through large sliding glass doors. The interior features light wood floors, built-in wooden kitchen cabinetry, and an open plan. The doors open to a grassy terrace with a view of a steep coastal cliff and the ocean.
The interior of the lower apartment is an open-plan space of living, dining, and cooking, designed for horizontal flow. Large glass doors create a seamless connection to the private garden terrace and the dramatic cliffside view.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

The project reorganizes residential living within a narrow plot on a coastal slope in Madeira by transforming topography into the governing framework for mass distribution. Through the fragmentation of the program into vertically stacked units that utilize existing agricultural terraces and the preserved basalt wall, the project minimizes structural intervention while reinforcing the continuity of the natural landscape. It redefines the relationship between interior and exterior spaces through a contemporary interpretation of residential density and highlights a rigorous logic of spatial efficiency.

However, this romanticized approach to integrating architecture with local materiality overlooks certain limitations of operational sustainability in contemporary environments. The preservation of stone walls and reliance on manual construction processes can become a long-term economic burden. Furthermore, the dependence on integrated furniture solutions and the reduction of structural and mechanical complexity may limit future adaptability and expansion, particularly in contexts that require building systems with greater flexibility for upgrading, industrialized construction methods, and digitally fabricated building components rather than a slower contextual approach. For further insights into related topics, readers may explore research, notable buildings, and the broader discourse surrounding contemporary architectural practice through discussion.

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Editorial Team: Mustafa & Rajy Khabazi.

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