The house echoes Cabo Verde’s distinct cultural and natural markers as Berlin-based architects and urban thinkers Heim Balp Architekten once again demonstrate their engagement in respecting and celebrating local cultures while creating a versatile, multifunctional space, rooted in the local community.

Bringing together São Vicente’s urban touch and Santo Antão’s greenery, the design furthers its dialogue with Cabo Verde’s cultural and natural traits through other structural choices. The island’s imposing sun grows into a valuable resource as it illuminates the solar panels laid across the flat roof and which power the space. The windowless vertical tower at the side of the building, which encloses the stairs connecting the five floors, is set in plaster, an inexpensive and common material on the island. As it enters from the bottom entrance, wind is channeled upwards through it and used to refresh the various floors before exiting at the seam – another recurring practice in Cabo Verdean structures.

Reflecting this structural hybridity, the building’s function is widely versatile, bringing together cultural, residential and hospitality spaces. While the bottom floor houses a gallery space, open to local cultural events, the upper floors welcome a diversity of inhabitants, permanent residents and temporary travelers alike. Coming together in the interior courtyard, where a communal exterior kitchen and long benches are towered by the lush balconies, all occupants gather in this sheltered space, tucked away from the street, yet deeply connected to it. At the Casa d’Poço, public and private communicate as do nature and culture, all hailing their profound Cabo Verdean identity as cultivating a profound sense of community.

“Both in its aesthetics and in its function, the Casa d’Poço is rooted in the context which surrounds it – a widely versatile climate; a bountiful nature; a vibrant culture; all in all, a land blessed with an endless wealth. By referencing and building on these assets, the design not only celebrates, but also (re)connects locals and visitors with Cabo Verde’s nature and culture, with its identity, ultimately fostering a deep-seated sense of belonging, pride, and community.”

Michael Heim, Heim Balp Architekten co-founding architect