As part of an Architectural Case Studies class, I made a 1/8”: 1’ scale model of Aires Mateus designed house in Azeitão, Portugal. In this design, Mateus rehabilitated an ancient winery with main attributes of wide space and thick walls. In his words “Together with the existing wall, a new thick wall houses all of the social functions on the main level. Stairs within the thick wall and day lit from above make the light transition from social to private space. The more private areas – bedrooms, bathrooms and a studio– are conceived as habitable volumes in an “impossible” balance, structuring the space. The volumes, articulated by light, modulate the main space of the lower living room, emphasizing its breadth”.