Australian fastest of all in uphill sprint in Ourém
Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was fastest in the uphill sprint to Ourém and won stage two of the 2024 Vuelta a España
Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) led out the sprint with 200 metres to go
but Groves had the power and strength to come round the Belgian in the closing metres
Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech) finished third
Brandon McNulty took the lead in the opening 12km time-trial on Saturday
but Van Aert's six bonus seconds on the line were enough for him to vault over the American into the overall lead of the race
Groves' last professional victory came at last year's Vuelta
who also moves in to the lead of the points competition
was pleased to put a difficult season so far behind him with this win
I had an injury in the spring and missed a lot of racing," he said of why he had not been at his best in 2024
"I returned to a really good level for the Giro
but in the end was not fast enough to beat Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) or Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
That kept me really motivated and working hard to come to a race like this
Groves knows that opportunities for the fast men are few and far between in this year's race
which has been billed as one of the toughest Grand Tours in years
"This year's parcours is really quite difficult. So we really only had today and tomorrow and a few opportunities in this first week
so I felt really big pressure to perform today."
After being battered by the elements in the opening time-trial
the riders headed inland on stage two on rolling terrain over 194 kilometres from Cascais to Ourém
two Spanish riders made a move off the front to form the day's breakaway
They were Ibon Ruiz (Equipo Kern Pharma) and Luis Angel Maté (Euskaltel-Euskadi) - the former on Grand Tour debut and the latter riding his 18th and final three week race as he prepares for retirement
the pair took on the first categorised climb of the race
the veteran Maté crossing the line first
Their lead stretched out to three-and-a-half minutes as the riders made their way north
Kaden Groves and Wout van Aert were the big favourites for the stage
and their teams took responsibility on the front of the peloton for much of the day
Most of the difficulty in the parcours was packed into the final 70 kilometres
which featured several unclassified hills as well as the intermediate sprint and fourth category Alto da Batalha
Maté took the intermediate sprint in Alcobaça ahead of Ruiz
Groves and Van Aert popped out of the peloton behind in the pursuit of points
with the Australian edging out the Belgian
The gap to the leading duo was reduced to almost nothing after the sprint and the peloton quickly swept them up with 52km left of the stage
The following two-dozen kilometres stayed in a holding pattern
with the big teams locked on the front anticipating the Alto de Batalha
which held within it some challenging sections
Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal - Quick-Step) and Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) accelerated
Three more riders bridged across; Kevin Geniets
Stefan Küng (both Groupama-FDJ) and Kobe Goosens (Intermarché-Wanty)
The peloton were too keen to keep things together at this point and that move was quickly snuffed out
with hundreds of Portguese fans lining the climb and getting close tot he riders
White jersey Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) crashed mid-way through
He was able to make his way back to the peloton before the finale
Küng sprinted to take the points at the top of the Batalha
meaning he would be level with Maté in the mountain classification at the end of the day
The sprinters' teams controlled things on the road into Ourém
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe were also attentive as they looked to keep Primoz Roglič safe in the finale
With 1.8km to go several riders crashed hard on a fast right-hand bend
Jhonatan Narvaez and Josh Tarling (both Ineos Grenadiers) were among those involved
As the peloton blasted under the one kilometre to go banner
Edoardo Affini (Visma-Lease a Bike) led the peloton with Van Aert on his wheel and Groves just behind
but Groves overcame him with power and speed
It was Van Aert's second close miss in two stages
but he takes the maillot rojo of overall leader into stage three
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Panaji, April 26, 2025: Fulfilling the Goa State Budget assurances for 2025-26, the development, operations, and maintenance of a Convention Centre/Five (5) Star Hotel Facility at Rua-de-Ourem Creekside, Panaji, has been approved by the Cabinet.
The Department of Tourism, Government of Goa, has entrusted the project to M/s Golden Peace Hotel & Resorts Pvt. Ltd.
The Convention Centre will have the capacity to accommodate 1,300 people, while the Exhibition Hall will be able to host up to 1,500 people. Additionally, boardrooms and other modern facilities have been thoughtfully considered to drive the development of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) tourism in the state.
The development work is expected to be completed by December 2026, and the state-of-the-art facilities will be operational and available from January 2027.
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Emma Farge in Geneva; Additional reporting by Patricia Rua
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A spate of wildfires is scorching parts of Europe
with firefighters battling blazes across different pockets of Europe on Wednesday amid an unusual heat wave that authorities are linking to climate change
Civil Protection commander André Fernandes said that multiple fires have caused the evacuation of more than 600 people
with two people – one civilian and one firefighter – suffering serious injuries
Water-dumping planes helped 1,300 firefighters combat the worst of the blazes in the nation’s central area
while another 1,000 worked to bring other fires under control
The European heat wave is also sparking flames in Spain and France – and in Turkey at the other end of the Mediterranean
A pharmacy thermometer shows a temperature of 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 degrees Fahrenheit)
More than 800 firefighters battled two wildfires in the region outside Bordeaux in southwest France
according to the regional emergency service
Firefighters extinguish a house on fire during a wildfire that broke out in Arles
in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region of southern France
About 6,500 people have been evacuated from campgrounds and villages in the forested area
The two fires have destroyed more than 1,800 hectares (4,400 acres) of terrain
Images from firefighters showed flames racing through thickets of trees and grassland
A worker drinks water on a road site in Aigrefeuille-sur-Maine near Nantes
The regional administration banned activity in forested areas at risk
Several regions in southern France are on fire alert because of hot
Wildfires swept through the Gard region in southeast France last week
works in his field in Remouille near Nantes
Neighboring Spain hit highs of 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in several southern cities on Tuesday
A tourist uses a hat to cover her head from the sun during the second heat wave of the year
Over 400 people were evacuated on Tuesday because of a wildfire that has consumed 3,500 hectares (8,600 acres) in western Spain
Tourists cool off inside of a historical building at Plaza de Espana (Spain Square) during the second heat wave of the year
European Union officials issued a warning last week that climate change is behind the extremely dry and hot summer so far on the continent
urging local authorities to brace for wildfires
An Indian rhino is sprayed with water during the second heat wave of the year at the Zoo Aquarium in Madrid
spokesperson for Spain’s national weather forecaster
said that the “unusual” heat wave and lack of rainfall in recent months have created ideal circumstances for fires
Spain’s second heat wave in less than a month and the year’s first for neighboring Portugal is expected to last at least until the weekend
A gray seal eats a fish popsicle during the second heat wave of the year at the Zoo Aquarium in Madrid
Meteorologists said an overheated mass of air and warm African winds are driving temperatures in the Iberian Peninsula beyond their usual highs
A panda bear eats a watermelon ice cream on a bamboo stick during the second heat wave of the year at the Zoo Aquarium in Madrid
headed for the beach or sipped iced drinks to tackle stifling temperatures
A man holds a mobile phone which displays an overheating warning due to the high temperature during the second heat wave of the year
a Syrian health executive who lives in Abu Dhabi
the heat wave was an unwelcome surprise on holiday
"It's not as enjoyable as we would like it to be on a holiday but it is what it is
But compared to the desert it is not that bad," she told Reuters
Tourists cool off in a fountain at the Plaza de Espana (Spain Square) during the second heat wave of the year
stayed in the shade in Madrid's Casa de Campo Park to escape the heat
"It is hot but at least with a breeze you feel better," he said
Tourists use hats to cover their heads from the sun as they walk in front of the Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) during the second heat wave of the year
General view of cracked earth in a section of the Ver chalk stream without flowing water as the hot weather continues in Redbourn
Britain’s Met Office has issued an extreme heat warning as temperatures continue to increase in much of England and Wales
General view of Lindley Wood reservoir during the heat wave causing water levels to decline in Otley
a World Meteorological Organisation spokesperson
told a United Nations briefing on Tuesday that although the heat wave
With human-caused climate change triggering droughts
the number of extreme wildfires is expected to increase 30% within the next 28 years
a blaze erupted in an area close to the village of Mesudiye
and was moving in the direction of some homes in the area
according to the provincial governor’s office
It said at least nine water-dropping helicopters and five planes were deployed to battle the fire
Smoke rises from a wildfire in Datça in Muğla province
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Where does the 79th Vuelta a España 2024 lead and how difficult are the individual stages
One thing in advance: The roadbook of the 2024 Spanish tour includes two individual time trials
the last Grand Tour of the year covers 3,301.4 kilometers from Lisbon to Madrid
The 2024 Vuelta a España kicks off with an individual time trial in Portugal
The riders will tackle a flat 12-kilometre route from the capital
The second longest stage of the Vuelta spans 194 kilometres and might favour the sprinters at the finish in Ourém
The main challenge for the fast riders and their teams is a fourth-category climb about 20 kilometres from the finish
This could provide an opportunity for the puncheurs to launch an attack
The final of the three stages in Portugal spans 191 kilometres from Lousã to Castello Branco
The first three-quarters of the route are hilly and mountainous
including a second-category and a fourth-category climb
with the last 40 kilometres being mostly flat
The first mountain stage of the Vuelta a España concludes at an altitude of 1,549 metres in the Extremadura mountains
The finish line is at Pico de Villuercas (category one)
the peloton will tackle the Puerto del Cabezabellosa (category two) and the Alto de Piornal (category one)
offer a prime opportunity for strong climbers to break away and create tactical options for the GC contenders in the finale
The final three kilometres of the ascent to Pico de Villuercas feature concrete ramps with gradients between 15 and 16 percent
there are no climbs listed on the fifth stage
but over two-thirds of the route is undulating
This offers a good chance for a breakaway group to go “full gas” from the start and distance themselves from the peloton
the general classification should be clearer
so the breakaway riders will mainly need to watch out for the sprinter teams
This brings up questions about team strategies and true interests
In the second mountain stage of this edition
the riders in Andalusia will face the main challenge after just 70 kilometres
the riders will need to conquer four category three climbs before the finish
The stage concludes at the summit of the Alto de las Abejas in Yunquera
The 185.5-kilometre journey through southern Spain could also favour breakaway riders
The seventh stage takes the riders through the province of Córdoba on a rather unconventional route
The finish town of Córdoba is reached after 139 kilometres of undulating
The route includes a loop around the provincial capital with a category two climb
known as the “Alto del 14%” in the roadbook
This climb is designed to thin out the main field before the finish at 179 kilometres
The mountain ranges of Jaén province will define this stage
which is expected to end in a mountain sprint in Cazorla
will be the day’s toughest challenge
The climb to the third of the nine mountain finishes in this Vuelta is five kilometres long with moderate gradients and is unlikely to significantly affect the overall standings
The first “week” of the Vuelta a España concludes with a challenging mountain stage through the Sierra Nevada
the riders will first tackle the 1,498-metre-high El Purche
This is followed by the double ascent of Alto de Hazallanas (also a first-category climb)
before a descent of approximately 50 kilometres from 1,675 metres down to Granada
the 10th stage takes the riders through the mountains of Galicia
These mountains are not particularly high – well below 1,000 metres
but the climbs almost always start at sea level
the riders will test themselves on the Alto de Fonfria (category one) to see who has recovered well or poorly from the rest day
The route then flattens out before a trio of climbs towards the end likely initiates an elimination race
a significantly reduced peloton is expected to contest the victory
takes place around the Galician town of Padrón and spans 166.4 kilometres
The terrain is perfect for breakaways or a tactical masterclass by a team with a GC leader
similar to the 2022 Giro stage around Turin
Three second-category climbs make it hard to control the race in the first two-thirds
before the route tackles the Puerto Cruxeiras (category three) just eight kilometres from the finish
The shortest road stage of this Vuelta a España spans just 137.4 kilometres and concludes with a challenging mountain finish at the Estación de Montaña de Manzaneda
generally climbing until reaching 740 metres at kilometre 117
where the 16-kilometre ascent to the finish at Montana de Manzaneda begins
This stage in the second week of racing is expected to be crucial for the overall standings
In the second week of the 2024 Vuelta a España
mountain finishes seem to come one after another
Before the riders tackle the steep slopes of the Ancares mountain pass in the finale
they must first climb the Alto Campo de Arbre (category three)
and Puerto de Lumeras (both category two climbs)
The final climb is 7.7 kilometres long with an average gradient of 9 percent and ramps of 15 percent
The ascent becomes particularly brutal in the last five kilometres
won the 20th stage of the 2014 Vuelta ahead of Chris Froome
The longest stage of the 2024 Vuelta spans 200.4 kilometres from Villafranca del Bierzo to Villablino
The main challenge in the finale will be the 23-kilometre climb to Puerto de Leitariegos
there will still be 16 kilometres left to make up any lost ground before the finish
It’s likely that the GC leaders and their teams will allow the breakaway riders to go free today to conserve energy
only controlling the field on the final climb of the day
the peloton will face another high-altitude challenge in Asturias
The stage concludes with a mountain finish at Cuitu Negru in the Pajares ski resort
the riders must tackle the Colladiella (category one) twice and Santo Emiliano (category three) once
the ascent to the “Asturian Colossus” begins
The road winds upwards for 19 kilometres in an irregular rhythm
with ramps of up to 23 percent gradient to overcome
this is only the second time the Vuelta has visited this formidable climb
a stage of the Vuelta a España will finish at Lagos de Covadonga
This is one of the race’s most iconic and famous finales
the riders must climb two first-category ascents
It’s quite possible that a strong group of GC contenders will break away on the Llomena and battle for the stage win on the final climb
the mountain finish at Lagos de Covadonga is the only Especiale climb of this Vuelta – equivalent to the Hors Categorie at the Tour de France
If they can manage the two second-category climbs in the middle of the stage and their teams can catch the breakaway on the remaining flat sections
we could see a royal sprint finish in Santander after 141.5 kilometres
This hilly mid-mountain stage takes the riders from Vitoria-Gasteiz to Maeztu through the Basque Country
It’s perfect for an early breakaway group
A second-category climb and the Puerto Herrera
will make it tough for the sprinters and their teams to keep the peloton together and to control and catch the breakaway
The penultimate mountain finish of this Vuelta a España will conclude after 173.2 kilometres at Alto de Moncalvillo
The Puerto de Pradilla at kilometre 89.2 serves as a warm-up for the mountain finale
which begins about eight kilometres from the summit
The climb to Alto de Moncalvillo starts gently but becomes much more demanding in the final kilometres
Will the Vuelta a España 2024 be decided on the penultimate day
as this 172-kilometre mountain stage includes seven passes and is almost never flat
the riders will enter Cantabrian territory and tackle several climbs before returning to the province of Burgos via the Portillo de Lunada (category one)
The Portillo de la Sia (category two) could set the stage for the finale
and the riders will reach the final climb via the Puerto de Los Tornos (category one)
The final ascent to Picón Blanco is a 7.5-kilometre climb to the finish at 1,518 metres
The 79th edition of the Vuelta a España concludes as it began: with an individual time trial
The final battle against the clock takes place in Madrid over 24.6 kilometres
With no significant technical or topographical challenges
this stage is likely to favour the time trial specialists
The outcome of this stage is unlikely to significantly affect the top positions in the overall standings
Mathieu van der Poel’s Canyon Aeroad CFR: The Bike Behind His Spring Classic Wins
Mathieu van der Poels Cyclocross Calendar 2024/2025
Season Review 2024: Great Success of Team Alpecin-Deceuninck
Groves, of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team, held off Van Aert (Visma‑Lease a Bike) in a hectic finish to what had been a relatively sedate 194km ride inland to the north from the Portuguese coastal town of Cascais to Ourém. The New Zealander Corbin Strong (Israel Premier Tech) came home third.
Read moreVan Aert was left frustrated at not winning a stage for the second successive day
after coming third in the opening time trial on Saturday
but the Belgian took the red jersey by virtue of six bonus seconds
my team did a really good job to make it a bunch sprint so it’s unfortunate to arrive second
but today I knew that finishing in the first three meant the red jersey
so after all it’s a good day,” Van Aert said
View image in fullscreenWout van Aert is in the red jersey despite narrowly missing out of victory in the first two stages
Photograph: Miguel Riopa/AFP/Getty ImagesSeveral riders were involved in a crash inside the last 4km with the British rider Josh Tarling of Ineos Grenadiers lucky to avoid serious injury as he crashed into a wall
All of them managed to reach the finish line and did not lose time
The race became animated on the descent of a late climb with riders topping 80km/h on the speed gun as they hurtled towards the finish
Van Aert made the first move but Groves timed his effort superbly to take the win
It was the Australian’s fifth career stage win at the Vuelta
“It’s a really nice way to start this Vuelta,” Groves said
but I came here super-motivated to change that
and I’ve got to thank my team for a really strong ride today.”
Stage three on Monday is the last to take place in Portugal
with the course taking the riders from Lousã to Castelo Branco
won the Tour of Poland in a triumphant return to the race where it all started for the two-time Tour de France champion
The Danish rider decided against racing in the Vuelta a España after an exhausting Tour de France where he finished second having spent three months out of action following a crash at the Tour of the Basque Country in April
the scene of his first UCI World Tour win in 2019
he went one better with the overall race win
“Everything went according to plan,” Vingegaard said
I felt that I had 100% recovered from the injury
This season I have learned to enjoy the moments and not to make long-term plans
Now I need a rest and then I will think about the future.”
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Three new Enduro Champions were crowned on the second day of the Enduro European Championship finals in Ourem / Portugal
The track was made even more difficult by the nightly rains
so same passages has to been bypassed again
that the distance of four had been shortened to the laps at least
In the Juniors-E2/E3-class the local hero Diego Ventura won the championship title with a second place behind the Swedish rider Tommy Sjoström
After Ventura already destroyed a radiator on the stage
his team slowed him down and let him drive safely
Not so safely continued the Italian Gianluca Martini: nevertheles
the Beta-Pilot finished the day in second place behind his countryman Mirko Gritti
This was not only the result in the E3-class
Both riders had led the field through the day
The third title went to veteran Werner Müller from Austria: with a victory in his class he saved his seventh (!) European title
because in the stones he received a crack in the clutch-cover and he lost oil
At the service he was able to fix it with glue
even in the “Overall”: leading Maurizio Micheluz from Italy won his E1-class
where Tom Sagar took third place behind the Frenchman Romain Dumontier and Sagas English compatriot Jamie Lewis
But still he was ahed of his rival Andrea Beconi and still on the way to the title: “I was not fast enough in the motocross-test today – my own fault.”
All results, standings and photos also on the Championship website: http://www.european-enduro-championship.com/
(FIM Europe Press Release 157/2013)
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The Italian Maurizio Micheluz became three times European Enduro Champion: on the last day of the final in Ourem / Portugal he achieved the triple
He not only won the E1-class and the overall title
but was in the three days with the Italian Trophy also European team-champion
Mirko Gritti and the E3-European Champion Gianluca Martini
Tom Sagar needs no win in the E2-class too: He made the third place in the race behind his British countryman Jamie Lewis and the French Romain Dumontier
So he took the title in front of Italian Andrea Beconi
Even Jessica Jönsson from Sweden did not win the final cross: with the second place behind her rival
The same with the British Junior Jack Rowland in the small capacity class: he took only the third place behind the Estonians Rannar Uusna and the Czech Ondrej Helmich
Uusna improved to the second in the Championship
after Tomasso Montanari crashed in the first corner
In the Juniors under 20 years the Pole Adam Tomiczek won the race
but Italian Nicolas Pellegrinelli took the title
Two of the already yesterday crowned rider won their races: Gianluca Martini in the E3-Class and Veteran Werner Müller from Austria underline their deserved titles
A special performance showed the organizing team: After the authorization for the planned Motocross-terrain was refused
the team built a magnificent track within one week right into the ground: about 3.500 enthusiastic spectators have been there to watch the races
(FIM Europe Press Release 159/2013)
20221:09 PM UTCScorching heatwave sparks wildfires in EuropeOver 20 wildfires raged across Portugal and several burned in western Spain
menacing villages and disrupting tourists' holidays amid a heatwave that meteorologists expect to push temperatures into the high 40s Celsius
[1/34]Sheep graze as a wildfire rages on during the second heatwave of the year in the vicinity of Guadapero
[2/34]A helicopter works on containing a wildfire during the second heatwave of the year in the vicinity of Guadapero
[3/34]Smoke from a wildfire billows during the second heatwave of the year behind Ciudad Rodrigo
[5/34]A helicopter works on containing a wildfire during the second heatwave of the year in the vicinity of Guadapero
[6/34]Sheep graze as a wildfire rages on during the second heatwave of the year in the vicinity of Guadapero
[8/34]Firefighters watch a wildfire in Ourem
[9/34]A fire fighting aircraft works to contain a forest fire in Leiria
[10/34]Local women help firefighters after they controlled the fire near their homes
[11/34]A fire fighting helicopter works to contain a wildfire during the second heatwave of the year in the vicinity of Riomalo de Arriba
[12/34]Firefighters from Extremadura work to contain a wildfire in the second heatwave of the year in the vicinity of Riomalo de Arriba
[13/34]A plane flies over a wildfire in Ourem
[14/34]People carry their dogs while they evacuate after a wildfire
[15/34]A view shows smoke rising from the Gironde forest fires as seen from Landiras
[16/34]A person stands as a wildfire continues
[18/34]A firefighter walks on burned ground after a wildfire in Ourem
[19/34]A fire fighting helicopter works to contain a wildfire in Leiria
[20/34]A helicopter works on containing a wildfire during the second heatwave of the year in the vicinity of Guadapero
More in this CollectionSee all picturesItem 21 of 34 A general view shows smoke rising from the Gironde forest fires as seen from Dune de Pilat
Quentin/via REUTERS[21/34]A general view shows smoke rising from the Gironde forest fires as seen from Dune de Pilat
© 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved
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The family home looking over the Castle of Ourem in central Portugal is inspired by the simplistic nature of children's drawings
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A Portuguese architect has designed a family home inspired by children’s drawings of houses, on a piece of land overlooking the Castle of Ourem.
Filipe Saraiva, of Filipe Saraiva Arquitectos, built his home on a southwards-stretching slope next to a public road, using wood and black concrete to fit in with the surrounding natural landscape.
The odd shape is inspired by children’s drawings, with the standard five lines for walls and the roof and squares for windows and a rectangle for the door. Saraiva wanted to emulate the sheltered feeling of this familiar shape and create a home that would be “a safe haven and our own world”.
The house features three bedrooms, an enormous garage and a number of large open-plan living spaces.
We spoke to Saraiva about designing a home that is both artistic and functional.
We are a young and dynamic team with professional experience, resulting from our attentive and critical daily experience that allows us to face the most diverse challenges with a sense of responsibility, rigour and determination; but always keeping in mind our main goal: Quality.
The architectural design is based on the synergies of multiple specialties and their coordination, keeping attention on small details in terms of both legal and technical requirements and the level of the claims of the developer. Therefore, it is extremely important that the team shows a multidisciplinary and very open and permanent relationship with the client.
How would you sum up the project in five words?
Simplicity, functionality, light, view, monolithic.
This project consists of a rectangular and uniform shape, with a monolithic volume that contains in its interior all the functional needs of the house distributed between two floors. On the south side we have the social area of the house, and on the north side the technical and service areas. The social area was designed as an open space in order to improve the relation between different parts of the house.
What did you hope to solve as you designed this home?
To create a house that meets my needs and is adapted to the daily life of my family.
The extension of the living room to the outside. This connection and the flow between different spaces, in this case interior and exterior spaces, allows us to experience different sensations, even if we are only in one space, since there is a clear communication between them.
What was your inspiration for this project?
The design of the house. The architect started to inspire himself to the simplicity of a child’s view, without artifices. In other words, when we ask a child to draw a house, invariably they present us with a simplistic representation of five lines, a rectangle and two squares. So, the design of the house is similar to a pentagon, which is composed by five lines, representing the door and the roof.
What was the toughest issue you encountered when this building was being designed and built?
For sure, the conception of the constructive system. This system consists of prefabricated pigmented concrete elements with built-in insulation, supported on a metal structure. The difficulty was the idealisation of the system and the connection between the various materials: Iron, concrete and wood. Otherwise, combining the dimensions of the house with the 3m module that is at the base of the whole project.
If you could, what would you like to change?
At the moment, either for the family or for the site, we would do the same project.
What sort of experience do you hope people using this space have?
A constant relation with the outside and the landscape and enjoy the space in a fluid and uncompromised way.
Please add anything else you feel is important
It is an eco-friendly house with low energy costs.
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
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This has been one of the worst summers in many years for forest fires in Portugal and the nation's civil defense says they have deployed more than 1,700 firefighters to combat fires in the center and north of the country
Firefighters combat a forest fire in Quinta da Sobreira
Smoke from a forest fire fills the air in Alvaiazere
Firefighters combat a forest fire in Alvaiazere
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Goemkarponn desk\nCANACONA: The day was supposed to be Love-in-the-Air with many couples out in the open for Valentine's Day at the world-acclaimed Palolem beach visited for its scenic
and romance was to a rude shock and disbelief
two dead bodies of two youngsters were found on the beach since early Tuesday morning.\nSupriya Dubey
Supriya\u2019s body was found lying on the Ourem side of Palolem beach at about 7 am on Tuesday
the body of Vibhu was found floating in Seawater also at the Ourem side of Palolem beach at approximately 13.45 hrs.\nAccording to Canacona Police
Supriya Dubey and her friend Vibhu Dubey had come to Canacona on Sunday Morning and boarding in a Hotel Room on the Ourem side of Palolem beach.\nAccording to sources
the couple was reportedly last seen together late Monday evening
strolling and enjoying the beach at Palolem.\nWhen asked
all will be clear after the PM examination\u2019.\nCanaocna PI Chandrakant Gawas informed both the dead bodies were shifted to District Hospital Margao for preservation and post-mortem examination
The deceased's families have been notified
and they (families) are reaching Goa on Wednesday
Further stating preliminary investigation has revealed that both came to Canaocna on Sunday and were staying together in a room at a hotel in Ourem
The post-mortem will throw more light on the cause of unnatural death.\nIt is learnt through police sources that Supriya Dubey working in an IT company in Bangluru
and Vibhu Sharma reportedly working in the film industry
respectively have arrived at Palolem on Sunday and both check-in at a beach hotel
the couple checked out from their hotel at 11 am on Monday and were staying-put /check-in into another hotel on the same day
Sources also revealed that both were far related
and the families of both were reportedly unaware of the couple's Goa trip
People reportedly suspect the girl descended into the seawater in the late evening (when night had already dawned)
her friend Vibhu Sharma who was also on the shore
ventured into the sea and got soaked.\nWhen the body of Supriya was found
it was a blind case for police until a mobile was located very close to her body
and it (lock) was opened after using her fingerprints on her mobile....based on the calling pattern; police reportedly tried to call her friend\u2019s (Vibhu) mobile
When police were still trying to locate her friend as per her calls
a foreign national swimming in the sea noticed the body of Vibhu Sharma floating in the ocean.\nThe information was immediately passed on to the police
after which the lifeguards retrieved the body from the shore.\nBased on the pictures on the girl's mobile
Vibhu was identified as her accompanying person
and the families were contacted.\nPolice dispatched both bodies to District Hospital Margao for preservation and
contacted the families of both the deceased\u2019s
The family was reportedly arriving today morning (Wednesday) in Goa.\nPolice sources further informed that Police are taking the investigation seriously
Canacona PI Chandrakant Gawas handles the case conducting a further enquiry under the guidance of Dy
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