On a steep plot overlooking the sea, in the Toix-Masquerat area of Calpe, a coastal town in the province of Alicante in southeastern Spain, a private house was designed that offers a precise and sensitive interpretation of the relationship between architecture, topography and landscape.
The project was designed by the firm Fran Silvestre Arquitectos, and the interior design was entrusted to me Alfaro HofmannThe house, which covers an area of approximately 242 square meters and was built on a plot of approximately 963 square meters, demonstrates how proper planning can turn challenging terrain conditions into a real advantage, as it leans against the slope, opens to the landscape and maintains a restrained and uniform edge throughout.
Ofri Paz | STANNEL
From the initial planning, it is clear that the lot dictated the architectural course. Instead of leveling the land or imposing a structure that is not suitable for it, the architects chose to create a system that adapts to the natural topography and minimizes the earthworks as much as possible. With the desire to concentrate the house on one level, a three-dimensional skeleton of reinforced concrete panels and walls was designed, which creates a straight and uniform level at the entrance to the house. The house itself is located on this level, while the swimming pool is located at a lower level, in a flatter area of the lot.
This position creates a clear hierarchy between the parts of the house and the surrounding exterior. The main living level enjoys an open view of the Mediterranean Sea, while the pool, located lower, reinforces the sense of continuity between the house and the landscape. The staircase, which appears at the transition point between the levels, is also not only a functional solution but part of the architectural movement that connects the building to the ground, and leads to the lower level where the pool and garden area were designed. This creates a clear continuity between the house, the exterior and the natural topography of the lot.
One of the most striking features of the project is the way in which the built mass appears almost suspended above the ground without weighing it down excessively. The horizontal structure, together with the use of clean lines and a light envelope, heighten the feeling that the house sits within the landscape rather than in front of it.
The result is architecture that has a clear presence, but also restraint. The material language of the house continues the same restrained and precise approach. The concrete skeleton is isolated on the outside and covered with white lime plaster, flexible and smooth, while the other finishing materials also maintain a light and uniform range. The walls, floors and gravel on the roof work together to create a monochromatic envelope, which respects the traditional local architecture, but at the same time enhances the sense of unity and completeness of the entire house.
The interior spaces also maintain the same precise, clean, and restrained language that characterizes the architectural envelope. The light material palette, which includes white stone flooring, smooth walls, integral white-finished joinery, and minimalist openings, creates a uniform and quiet feeling throughout the house. The kitchen, for example, was designed as a monochromatic space with straight lines, continuous work surfaces, and storage solutions that are almost completely integrated into the joinery. The same striving for reduction is also evident in the bathrooms and public spaces: hidden details, integrated lighting, very thin frames, and elements that allow the material, light, and landscape to take center stage.
Architecture lFran Silvestre ArquitectosInterior Design l Alfaro HofmannPhotography l Diego Opazo
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Where design meets lifestyle
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Where design meets lifestyle
Where design meets lifestyle
