A HOUSE IS A CONTAINER OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES

Commodity - A house is a Container of Human Activities

- Functionality

The exterior stairs that create a link between the patios mirror the intereior stairs whic have the same fucktion of linking the internal spaces of the house.

From the top of each set of stars, they link different rooms stating at a study to kitchens, living room, dining area and further down to bedrooms, toilet and powerplan.

- Public and Private Zones

The creation of a pedestrian link between the paths of the upper and lower levels provcide two separate ways of entering certain rooms for either public use, i.e balcony's and living/dinning rooms, and private for study and bedrooms.

- Adjacency

Between each room they are basically built on top of each other and linking them with a set of stairs make the rooms all adjacent to each other. Linking outside and inside to each separate and own balcony creates a nature like experience with the surroundings.

References

Feireiss K & L 2006, Architecture of Change.
Sustainability & humanity in the built environment, London.

Fundacao de Serralves 2009, jorgetsvaresmsn youtube video,
viewed on 20 March 2010, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJqEnZHK_Ys

Pearson, Clifford, A 2006, 'In northern Portugal, Alvaro Leite Siza Vieira cascades Casa Tolo down a steep slop through terraced gardens, Architectural Record, vol. 198, issue 4, pp. 128-135.

Casa Tolo 2005, A Weekly Dose of Architecture, New York,
viewed 13 March 2010, http://www.archidose.org/May06/050806.html

Casa Tolo 2004, Concrete,
viewed 13 March 2010, http://www.concrete.net.au/CplusA/issue5/casa.php

World Changing, 2009, Architectural gem of the day: Casa Tolo,
viewed 25 March 2010 http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/008408.html

FG+SG 2006, Alvaro Leite Siza Vierira,
viewed 12 March 2010, http://www.fernandoguerra.com/tolo/