Casa 1615

The 1615 house is a residence located on the Costa Brava. Due to the pronounced topography of the plot as a major constraint, the project is conceptualized by thinking about the section. How it relates to the topography, how it integrates with it, and how it overcomes the large slope between the street (north) and the lower part of the plot (south).

It is formalized in the form of a stepped cascade that adapts and opens up towards the views of the Costa Brava. Volumetrically, the project proposes a large concrete volume that will have two large "bites" containing all the openings of the rooms. These "holes" can be closed through large natural wood sliding doors. The lower part, on the other hand, is conceived as a "void" under the volume, becoming a kind of "porch" that can be understood and used as an interior space (when the joineries are closed) as well as an exterior space (when the joineries are open).

In order to achieve this openness, all the joineries fold inside the wall that separates the "public" from the "private" part. In this way, when all the joineries are open, the interior and exterior merge into a single space.

Access to the plot is made through the roof of the house, both pedestrian and vehicular, making the most of the available space. The garage attached to the street allows easy access and manoeuvrability for vehicles. As a pedestrian, access to the house is through a patio with a staircase that connects the roof with the rest of the floors of the house. This patio space, open at the top, is completely enclosed by its perimeter, which allows for no contact with the fine views that are reached in the day area of the -2 level.

In the night area of the -1 level, we find the entrance hall and a laundry room, along with three fully equipped suites, as well as the staircase that gives access to the roof and the staircase that gives access to the day area of the lower floor, level -2. The day area is divided into two spaces, one public, with the living room, kitchen, dining room, and bathroom, and one private, where we find the master bedroom, with bathroom, private toilet, and dressing room.

The plot presents a significant unevenness in most of its surface; The height difference between the plot’s front (northern limit) and the plot’s back (southern limit) is approximately 17 m. Access is through Atzavara street, at the highest point of the plot (elevation 180 approx.). The project locates the utilities’ meters on the street rim (northeast corner).

The house is made up of a main volume (house access and night area), under which the day area is fully connected and projected outdoors, to the terrace where the pool is located. The volume that makes up the night area is understood as a petrous block that shelters the main space of the house.

Access to the plot, both road and pedestrian, occurs through the house roof, with the garage attached to the street (occupying 1/3 of the length of the plot front) and fully integrated into the mountain profile ( thanks to a landscaped roof at road level), and using the same roof as access and maneuvering space. This roof-access has views of the Aiguablava cove.

Access to the house is through a patio that connects the roof with the floor immediately below (level -1). This courtyard space, open at the top, is totally enclosed by its outer perimeter and completely open to an inner hall with which it forms a single perceptive space; this makes the view to disappear when accessing this massive volume and do not appear again until reaching level -2 (day zone). On this access floor we find the hall (which includes the staircase that leads to the lower level -day area-), a laundry room and three bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms that have access to a covered terrace embedded inside the massive volume, and with views.

The level of the day area is divided into two main spaces, the public, where the living room, dining room and kitchen are located; and another private one, where the main room is, with a bathroom and dressing room. In the same back strip of services is the courtesy bathroom. All these spaces are directly open to the terraced garden where the pool is located, which faces the view of the Aiguablava cove.

The different levels are interconnected with an elevator, which allows quick access from the garage to the day area through an interior space.

Volumetrically, the project proposes a large volume of concrete, which will have two bites that contain the openings of the rooms. These gaps can be closed by means of sliding natural wood shutters, which can be hidden within the area not occupied by the bites.

The lower floor, by contrast, is conceived as a hole under that volume, becoming a porch that can both be understood as and used as an interior space (when the carpentry is closed) or as an exterior space. (when the carpentry is open). To achieve this effect, the sliding carpentry is completely folded into the wall that separates the public from the private part of this floor. In this way, when all the carpentry is open, indoors and outdoors merge into a single space.

The materialization seeks simplicity and honesty, with the use of noble materials such as concrete, wood and glass, for the construction of the house, as well as the gabion walls and natural stone on the outside.

Team:
Architecture: Nordest architecture SLP (Jordi Riembau + Miquel Rusca)
Structure calculation: Blazquez Guanter SLP
Technical Architecture: Ricard Soler
Interior designer: Maria Jiménez
Photography: Filippo Poli
Construction Company: Construcció i restauració Viñas 
Facilities: Imjac SL

Material Used:
1. Exterior carpentry: Alumilux
2. Shutters: Industrial Gradhermetic

3. Interior carpentry:
Fusteria Rocas 
Parals Serrallers
Aplicacions Metalaym

4. Kitchen: Modulnova Barcelona (Interco Maresme)
5. Pool: Atipic Girona
6. Garden walls: Muroxs
7. Soil nailing: GEOTÈCNICA VERTICAL, S.L