Villa Petra by Marlen Uldschmidt in Ferragudo, Portugal

Project: Villa Petra
Architects: Marlen Uldschmidt
Location: Ferragudo, Portugal
Area: 6,458 sq ft
Photography: Fernando Guerra | FG + SG

Villa Petra by Marlen Uldschmidt

Marlen Uldschmidt has completed the design of Villa Petra in Ferragudo, Portugal. This stunning modern home offers just under 6,500 square feet of luxurious living space spread across two levels with access to a magnificent terrace and pool.

Villa Petra is located in a prestigious residential area near the seaside village of Carvoeiro, Algarve, Portugal. The low-density plot where Villa Petra is situated features existing private gardens that create secluded homes. Many interventions and extensions to the existing house over many years have led to its loss of original appearance, yet the building's footprint had to be preserved in accordance with legislative norms.

The new project aims to harmoniously blend volumetrically, aesthetically and topographically with the sloping terrain, as the existing building showed deep signs of deterioration, making way for new construction. The open-plan first floor connects the living room, kitchen, dining area, bar and stage area through a double-height entrance. The upper and lower levels are dedicated to bedrooms. Stairs designed as floating wooden platforms connect the first floor with the lower level via an intermediate pool level, concealing height differences between them. The pool was reimagined using modern straight lines and clad in white Macael marble, surrounded by a terrace.

The garden was completely re-designed, including some existing palms and an abandoned tennis court detached from the house, ensuring harmony throughout the complex. The pathway and terrace flooring is made of wood, while the garage area and main pedestrian walkway combine white and grey Macael marble in distinct zones with individual patterns. A dense group of tropical plants on the southern side, together with the main bedroom terrace, provides shade and reduces temperature on the open area terrace.

–Marlen Uldschmidt