Casa Enmarcada stands on a hillside in Murcia, Spain, as an exercise in controlled openness. Designed by Srta. Rottenmeier Estudio de Arquitectura, it balances exposure to the surrounding landscape with measured privacy. The house is defined by a single, clear gesture: a 16-metre-wide cantilevered canopy that frames the entrance, the horizon, and the sky. This structural span, achieved without intermediate supports, anchors the architectural composition and turns arrival into an experience of light and space.
Site and spatial organisation
The project is arranged as a sequence of spaces running east to west, capturing morning light from the mountainside and evening sun over the valley. To the east, the house becomes introspective: a study and bathroom open to the hillside, designed for quiet mornings. To the west, spaces expand outward into communal life with a double-height living room, an outdoor kitchen, and a terrace with a pool. The main floor connects these two conditions through a continuous transversal axis that allows light and air to flow freely.
The volumetric composition reflects this duality. A solid base clad in large-format porcelain panels supports a lighter, white stucco volume above. The effect is one of deliberate restraint: clear geometry, few materials, and careful proportions. Warm timber canopies provide shading, while a skylight above the staircase and the double height of the living area modulate daylight across the interior.
Material expression
The material selection reinforces the project’s minimal but robust character. The ground level is clad in porcelain panels with a durable, low-maintenance finish resistant to solar radiation and abrasion. The upper volume is rendered in light stucco chosen for its high solar reflectance and compatibility with the region’s climate. External timber shutters are fabricated in iroko, treated with a natural oil finish to ensure longevity. Interior floors are finished in large-format porcelain stoneware, while the terrace uses anti-slip stone tiles for continuity between inside and outside.
Environmental and energy performance
The design integrates passive strategies suited to Murcia’s warm climate: light-coloured façades and ceramic cladding to limit heat absorption, deep porches and timber louvres to protect glazing from direct sun, and cross-ventilation created by east–west openings. The double-height living space supports thermal stratification, maintaining comfort without air conditioning.
Landscape design also contributes to the building’s environmental performance. Drought-tolerant vegetation such as palms, cacti, and Mediterranean shrubs reduces irrigation demand, while permeable surfaces promote natural drainage.
Structural and environmental systems
The main canopy is a reinforced-concrete structure with post-tensioned beams, minimising section depth while maintaining a 16-metre span. The roof integrates high-density thermal insulation and a waterproofing system. Windows are designed to optimise solar control and daylight transmission.
