![Mami house by NOArquitectos LDA](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/05/mami-house-noarquitectos-lda-architecture-residential-houses-portugal-_dezeen_hero-b-852x479.jpg)
Mami House is a "mini bunker" built for a couple on a very tight budget
Faced with the difficult task of delivering a family house for less than €100,000, Portuguese architect José Carlos Nunes de Oliveira designed this cuboidal concrete property.
![Mami house by NOArquitectos LDA](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/05/mami-house-noarquitectos-lda-architecture-residential-houses-portugal-_dezeen_2364_col_27-852x568.jpg)
Nunes de Oliveira, who leads architecture studio NOARQ, was initially asked by the clients to build them a 160-square-metre home for just €80,000 (approximately £67,000). He told them it was impossible, so they increased their budget to €100,000 (£84,000).
![Mami house by NOArquitectos LDA](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/05/mami-house-noarquitectos-lda-architecture-residential-houses-portugal-_dezeen_2364_col_2-852x852.jpg)
Called Mami House, the property they ended up with is a simple two-storey home contained within a basic cuboid.
It is located in Matosinhos, a coastal town just outside Porto. It occupies a site that Nunes de Oliveira described as being "the shape of a slice of pizza", which was previously dotted with sheds and vegetable gardens.
![Mami house by NOArquitectos LDA](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/05/mami-house-noarquitectos-lda-architecture-residential-houses-portugal-_dezeen_2364_col_9-852x852.jpg)
To keep the budget down, the building's finish was kept as simple as possible. Externally, walls are coated with a pale grey render, while the concrete is left bare inside.
![Mami house by NOArquitectos LDA](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/05/mami-house-noarquitectos-lda-architecture-residential-houses-portugal-_dezeen_2364_col_12-852x568.jpg)
"We identified the more expensive options of a building," explained Nunes de Oliveira.
"We prefer to invest in the energy efficiency of the building, instead of an expense in finishing materials," he continued. "I imagine the house as a mini bunker. Natural concrete walls inside, and on the outside, a thermal insulation component system."
![Mami house by NOArquitectos LDA](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/05/mami-house-noarquitectos-lda-architecture-residential-houses-portugal-_dezeen_2364_col_13-852x852.jpg)
The layout is also kept as straightforward as possible, with no more partitions than necessary.
The staircase is positioned at the centre of the nine- by nine-metre plan, where it serves as a space divider for both levels. On the ground floor, it divides the living and dining space from the kitchen, while upstairs it separates the master suite from two smaller bedrooms.
![Mami house by NOArquitectos LDA](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/05/mami-house-noarquitectos-lda-architecture-residential-houses-portugal-_dezeen_2364_col_8-852x852.jpg)
This staircase block, which also incorporates shelving and a bathroom, was built from wood, offering a warm contrast to the bare concrete. It is complemented by patterned rugs on the lower floor and wooden floors upstairs.
![Mami house by NOArquitectos LDA](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/05/mami-house-noarquitectos-lda-architecture-residential-houses-portugal-_dezeen_2364_col_22-852x568.jpg)
To prevent the house looking cheap, the architect specified generously sized windows. This includes one set into the corner of the building, and a pair of glass doors that open the living space up to the garden.
![Mami house by NOArquitectos LDA](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/05/mami-house-noarquitectos-lda-architecture-residential-houses-portugal-_dezeen_2364_col_7-852x1278.jpg)
There is also a basement floor that provides the building with ample storage space.
![Mami house by NOArquitectos LDA](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/05/mami-house-noarquitectos-lda-architecture-residential-houses-portugal-_dezeen_2364_col_0-852x852.jpg)
Nunes de Oliveira founded NOARQ in 2000, with offices in Porto and Trofa. Past projects include a house in northern Portugal with a roof that extends into a hillside.
Photography is by João Morgado.
Project credits:
Architect: José Carlos Nunes de Oliveira
Collaborators: Gonçalo Ferreira, Hugo Araujo
Structural consultant: Rossana Pereira (GEPEC)
Hydraulic and acoustic consultant: Rossana Pereira (GEPEC)
Electricity, telecommunications and security consultant: Alexandre Martins (GPIC)
Gas and HVAC consultant: Raul Bessa (GET)