The Peralta Plaza Residences at Peralta Beach exemplify the uniqueness of the developer’s clean and bold approach to residential architecture within the broader context of Portugal’s tourism-driven new coastal architecture.

Since the bulk and coverage requirements of Lourinha’s town-planning scheme maximise bulk at 0.7 of FAR, and since coverage is restricted by way of setback requirements only, the anticipated pattern of land-use can yield a fairly homogeneous urban fabric ~ as can be seen in the natural pattern of fine-grained traditional fishing villages in the region. Our approach, driven by a need to create better legibility and hierarchy for pedestrian and tourist way-finding, was to break that dense pattern of free-standing homes and townhouses occasionally, creating more viable public open-spaces that serve both tourists and the local community alike in the process.

By having a selection of larger, more monumental buildings amongst a rich grain of housing types, we were able to create a series of public parks built between buildings such as Peralta Plaza Residences (built) and the similarly formatted Parkside Residences (due next for construction). There are three similarly formatted serviced apartments planned for the development, each with its own identity and sense of address.

Conceived as a landmark within the Peralta Beach development, and situated closer to its centre of gravity, the urbane lifestyle opportunity offered the Peralta Plaza Residences’ proximity to the parks, the Clubhouse, the paddle courts, and to the gymnasium on Heights II, is further augmented by the expressive qualities of Brazilian tropical modernism which signifies ‘resort’ and is a nod to the vibrant cross-pollination between Portugal and Brazil during the heyday of heroic Modernism in the mid-20th Century.

The architecture and interiors at PERALTA BEACH all offer a seamless experience of rich, warm materials, and as always, an emphasis on maximum views with a minimum of fuss. Large balconies and terraces take in the sun and provide expansive views of the Atlantic Ocean, to the fishing village of Peniche to the north-west and the island of Berlenga beyond. Praia Peralta beach itself is a 15-min walk down the Beach Walk which connects all the housing options within Peralta Beach as part of a public-open-space-network which is endorsed by the town council and embeds Peralta Beach firmly into the fabric of its fishing village neighbours.