After several changes in location and program, Chiqui decided to build a retreat for himself and his son on a hill in Altos de la Zubia, a privileged setting with views over Granada and its spectacular sunsets. His main wish was to create a space focused on a generous pool, conceived as the heart of the activities they would share with friends and loved ones.

Our proposal challenges the conventional formula of the “house with a pool,” a widespread and often-repeated model in suburban residential areas, by inverting this relationship: here, the pool embraces the house within its interior. The design seeks to provoke an intimate and sensory experience, connecting inhabitants with the multiple atmospheres that emerge from the interplay between architecture and water. This approach materializes through two complementary journeys: to emerge and to immerse.

1. Emerge
 The journey begins underwater, introducing a surprising and unexpected arrival. From this initial point, an ascending path traverses the house, with each space establishing a unique relationship with the pool’s water level. Submerged windows reveal a flooded courtyard that changes with the light, while skylights beneath the water illuminate the interiors with oscillating reflections. Other openings offer views at the water’s edge, transforming the reflected landscape into a dynamic element that interacts with the interior.

The living room, slightly sunken (90 cm), allows for a simultaneous view of both the horizon and its liquid projection on the water’s surface, creating a perspective that merges the near and the distant. Outside, platforms at different heights extend this experience, connecting the house with its surroundings. The journey culminates in a viewpoint that provides a thrilling sense of vertigo and freedom as it projects over the central flooded courtyard.

2. Immerse
 The second journey invites direct immersion in the water, offering multiple ways of interaction. A wet platform allows for dipping one’s feet or simply lying in the sun, while a flooded courtyard (90 cm deep) provides a playful space for walking or playing. A submerged seat offers a place to rest and contemplate the landscape from the water, while an inclined beach invites gradual immersion into deeper areas. Here, the possibilities expand: swimming, diving from the viewpoint, exploring underwater, or observing activities inside the house through aquatic windows that blur the boundaries between interior and exterior.

"Pool with a House" finds its true meaning through use and experimentation. The water, with its movement, sound, and constant interaction with light, transforms each space according to the time of day and the surrounding environment. This dynamic relationship dissolves the limits of architecture, extending the house beyond its walls and virtually incorporating the distant topography and views towards the west and Granada. In this way, the project is not just a living space but an instrument for rediscovering architecture’s potential as a creator of unique experiences, deeply connected with the landscape and the passage of time.