Despite the preservation of all the existing structures in its design, this house in the Andalusian town of Carmona is more a complete reimagining of a site than a simple refurbishment. Embracing the natural conditions found there becomes its key architectural strategy. Originally a tiny farmhouse lodged within a hillside rock formation, La Pajarita has evolved into a single residential entity surrounded by permaculture gardens overlooking the plains of southern Spain. The architecture sought to unify the dry natural landscape with the existing vernacular construction, introducing new opportunities for agriculture and a lifestyle of creative expression in harmony with its natural surroundings.

The house is wedged around the base of a rocky outcrop, nearly disappearing into the landscape when viewed from above. The old rock formations, grottoes, landscape, and house are treated as one organic, architectural thought. The natural boulders have been domesticated in the design, forming walls for the home and infusing the living spaces with their natural forms and coolness.

The low-slung volumes are preserved and divided into public and private spaces, following the contours of the sloping terrain. The upper level, closest to the main entrance, features a more public area with a glazed contemporary patio, while the lower level, partially a grotto in the rock face, offers a cool private retreat where sheep were once kept. The shaded green gardens and water features are at play here, both inside the house and all around it. 

Fully south-facing, yet protected from the harshest sun by a generous overhang and the application of a layer of esparto—a locally produced reed sunscreen—the design frames broad views of the plain of Carmona, cultivated for millennia. This ever-changing scene, shifting with the seasons, unites the stony outcrops of the hilltop with the expansive earth of the plains below.