Steep slopes are difficult to build anything on and make projects more challenging but they’re also rewarding in ways that flat areas of land can’t be. The views from up top are always beautiful and the architecture is usually interesting. This modern shelter house from Portugal for example was built on a steep slope and has a lot of cool design features which we’re going to check out right now. This was a project by architecture and design studio Carvalho Araújo which was completed in 2015.

The house cantilevers off a steep site at the edge of a peaceful villageThe area around the house is peaceful and the houses blend organically with the landscape

The site is situated in Viana do Castelo, at the edge of the village which gives it a really nice and open view towards the beautiful surrounding landscape, including the Serra d’Arga mountain in the distance. It was built on an existing ruin which gives it character and grounds the new design in an organic way. The house as a whole is a big concrete box partially suspended above the ground and cantilevered over the edge of the slope.

The shelter beneath the pool has a small interior courtyardThe house seems to organically grab onto the land and cantilever over the slopeThe kitchen takes up one of the walls and has a linear and open designOne of the advantages of being built on a steep slope is that the house gets to offer some amazing views of the surroundings

A big open deck and a lap pool are seamlessly integrated into the concrete shell of the house, becoming an integral part of its design. They can be reached via an outdoor staircase which wraps around the side at the highest point of the site. Underneath the pool and deck is actually where the sheltered part of the house is. Down here there’s a welcoming living room, a kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom. Everything is arranged around a courtyard which brings light and fresh air inside.

The bathroom features a minimalist design and big mirrors which make it seem largerThe open-space living room has a modern built-in fireplace and fresh green color accents