Portuguese architecture firm Fala Atelier has completed a striking three-story residential project in Porto that challenges conventional suburban design through its innovative inverted roof structure. Named "A House with an Inverted Roof," the home features sloping and curved ceilings that the architects say "blur structure and sculpture," creating a bold architectural statement in the municipality of Matosinhos, northwest of Porto's city center.

The distinctive design intentionally disrupts what Fala Atelier describes as the "visual monotony" of its suburban surroundings. Elevated atop a glazed base, the home's inverted roof pitch divides the upper stories into two sculptural halves - one curved and one sloping. The facade is punctuated by round and square windows that are protected by colorful blue and green blinds, adding vibrant accents to the bold geometric form.

"The design intentionally disrupts the visual monotony of suburbia with its bold silhouette and lively facade," the studio explained to Dezeen magazine. "This contrast becomes both a challenge and an opportunity - standing out in a uniform environment while reimagining what a suburban home can be, introducing an imaginative, collage-like form that blurs structure and sculpture."

The ground floor features an open-plan layout containing the living, kitchen, and dining areas. These spaces connect seamlessly to a back garden through full-height sliding glass doors, while the side elevation showcases a wall finished entirely in glazed bricks. The more open ground floor design contrasts with the sculptural upper levels, creating a dynamic spatial experience throughout the home.

A series of pale green-painted concrete columns support the home's concrete floors, strategically placed to disrupt interior spaces in unexpected ways. The architects describe these columns as "obstructing daily routines" in an intentional design gesture. At the rear of the home, one column extends upward through a first-floor terrace seemingly to nowhere, creating what the studio calls "a poetic moment of both tension and humor."

"Circulation flows around structural interruptions and spatial surprises, such as freestanding columns and angled walls," Fala Atelier noted. "The seemingly arbitrary placement of the green columns, especially the one on the terrace supporting nothing, is a poetic moment of both tension and humor."

The inverted roof design creates varied interior experiences across different areas of the home. A secondary living area benefits from a double-height space formed by the sloping section of the roof, while the main bedroom is tucked beneath the barrel-vaulted form of the curved section, creating a more intimate and private atmosphere. This approach demonstrates how the unconventional roof structure serves both aesthetic and functional purposes.

True to Fala Atelier's characteristic style, the interior finishes combine exposed concrete with bold color accents, stonework, and timber elements. The greens and blues featured in the exterior columns and blinds are carried throughout the interior fittings, creating a cohesive design language that reinforces the home's sculptural qualities.

"Materials like concrete, marble, and glass brick were chosen for their ability to define surface articulation and emphasize the geometry's sculptural quality," the studio explained. "Color also played a crucial role, both in differentiating forms and in crafting a collage-like aesthetic across the facade."

This latest project continues Fala Atelier's reputation for creating distinctive residential architecture in Porto. The firm's previous notable works include a home featuring curving walls and ceilings inspired by tent structures, and an apartment masked by geometric, perforated metal screens. The photography for this project was completed by Francisco Ascensão, capturing the home's bold architectural gestures and material contrasts.