Original name
Casa Lino Gaspar [Lino Gaspar House]
Original use
Housing/house
Current use
Housing/house
Architects
João Andresen
Concrete by reinforcement
Concrete is a relatively brittle material that is strong in compression but less so in tension.
To increase its overall strength, steel rods, wires, mesh or cables may be embedded in concrete before it sets. This reinforcement, often known as rebar, resists tensile forces. By forming a strong bond, the two materials are able to resist a variety of applied forces, effectively acting as a single structural element .
Construction method
In this case, the concrete can be made by mixing the components directly on site, or it may be transported from a production plant in concrete-mixer trucks.
This method has the disadvantage of leaving the concrete exposed to the elements while it is setting. Whereas, with other methods, the environmental conditions can be controlled during setting, providing greater control over the outcome, with cast-in-place concrete a series of tests and protocols are necessary to verify its final strength.
PRECAST ON SITE:
In larger and more complex construction projects, a concrete production plant may be installed on the construction site or nearby. The precast elements are moved into place once they have reached their maximum strength. This reduces transportation costs and ensures the concrete will set in the same environmental conditions as the building site. This may be more necessary with structures that combine cast-in-place concrete with prefabricated elements.
PRECAST IN FACTORY, WORKSHOP:
Any concrete element can be manufactured ahead of time and transported to the site once it has set. In this case, the control over geometry, appearance, finish and strength can be as strict as necessary. It can also be ensured that the pieces will be exactly identical to one another.
Prefabricated elements can be of any type: from façade panels and pavements to decorative elements (such as cornices or capitals) and structural elements (columns, slabs, beams, etc.).
These elements may be part of a commercial catalog or specially designed for a specific project. A series of pieces may also be sold as a coordinated and interconnected system to build a complete structure or even an entire building.
Architectural concrete
Structural types
Beams are the horizontal load-bearing elements of the frame. Columns are the vertical elements of the frame and act as the building’s primary load-bearing element. They transmit the beam loads down to the foundations.
State of Conservation
Description
The privileged location of this detached house with respect to the landscape, with views towards the mouth of the Tagus River, was a determining factor in the decisions regarding its layout and its relationship to the surroundings. Located on a plot with a gentle slope, its broad terraces, elevated above the sloping terrain, extend the house out towards the landscape. The roofs also stretch beyond the edges of the house, breaking up into a series of pergolas that incorporate nearby trees, blending the house into the garden and the landscape. The roofs and terraces, with an independent layout in plan, take on a strong presence due to the treatment of their perimeters, with sharp white concrete edges, outlining the space of the house between the topography and the sky. The combination of the expressiveness of exposed concrete and the ceramic materials from the Portuguese tradition – including bricks, lattices and tiles – recalls some of Le Corbusier’s residential buildings, like the Maisons Jaoul.
The design process for the house benefited from the close relationship between client and designer, who were both cultured and well-educated men. As a result, the house drew inspiration from the most avant-garde theories and ideas of the moment. With respect to the interior layout, the architect opted for a modular structure and a clear separation between functions, influenced by the architecture of Marcel Breuer.
Portugal
Rua Paulo da Gama 3
Lisboa 2760-107 Oeiras (Caxias)
Commission
1954
Completion
1955