The five houses at 'Herdade do Mercador' are arranged in an elongated plot of land, of trapezoidal shape, on a slope facing south. The organization of the houses is based on an attempt to establish views to the lake. The three south lots are oriented on a east-west direction, following the slope of the topography, while the two north lots are oriented north-south occupying the ridge line and part of the slope that descends sharply to the water. The buildings are arranged in rectangles of 42m x 24m that define and organize the interior and exterior living area of each house.