Typology
Residential
Location
Sotogrande, Cádiz
Date
2023 -
Size
750 sqm
Status
In progress

Info

This one-storey, single-family home in Sotogrande includes a virtually concealed, modular and fragmented east-west form that extends toward the southern edge of the plot, which borders a public road. This fragmentation of volumes, visible from the exterior, serves as a boundary with the public road given the absence of a perimeter fence, generously relinquishing this zone to walkers without sacrificing the privacy needed on the interior of the plot. The volume that houses the various living areas of the home opens onto a large exterior garden, a reference to traditional Hispano-Arabic architecture, wherein the structure is closed to the exterior, opening inward onto a lush interior enclave of privacy and serenity.  

A piece perpendicular to this volume, where the main common areas are located and capped by the principal bedroom, divides and articulates the two lush garden areas. On the western extreme, this creates a winter porch linked to the kitchen area, while to the east is a large natural esplanade featuring a water curtain that gives way to the summer porch. The design of the enclosure of this sizeable, transverse space allows it to be concealed within the walls of the home, vanishing in the warm months and transforming into a large, open, exterior space that connects the two outdoor portions of the garden. 

The rooftops are also maximised to create outdoor living areas where several different social activities can take place at once. The result is a spacious house connected to a lush interior garden, replete with intimate, domestic corners where occupants can enjoy family life.  

In an effort to merge local architectural tradition with the comfort and performance of contemporary style, the project celebrates local building convention through the use of elements like timber framing, interior and exterior lime plaster walls, the creation of porches, and curved wall finishes, while at the same time introducing a number of active and passive strategies to help minimise energy consumption.