The plot where this work is situated was formerly a horse patio for the farm called Molino Lucero, at a crossroads between the Guadalteba reservoir and the town of Teba in the province of Malaga. The irregular, trapezoidal shape of this 475-meter plot and its access to an existing road on the north side were important determinants of the project. We also took into account the fine views of La Estrella Castle to the northeast, and the mountain range to the north and northeast.
The project is inspired by vernacular constructions with white walls and vertical openings and the criteria for this intervention were rationality, straightforwardness and good functioning.
The request was for two houses around a pool, and this was resolved with “L”-shaped buildings adapted to the geometry and topography of the site. The house that borders the northern edge of the plot has only one story in order to minimize its presence on the road. The long side of the “L” has greater volume, giving greater height to the living room, which opens on to the swimming pool area to the south, and a gallery of bedrooms facing east, with two floors. It is closed to the west with a wall running that reaches the adjoining plot.
The building’s structure uses 30x29x19 cm thermal-clay blocks for the load-bearing walls that make up the entire perimeter, making them the enclosure, and also for the central walls. The 25 + 5 cm floor slabs are all unidirectional with self-resistant pre-stressed rods in the anti-humidity chamber, and semi-resistant ones in the rest. The roof is flat and finished with white river gravel.
The flooring throughout the inside is of 60x40x2 cm burnished stone from Cabra (Cordoba). Outdoors, the swimming pool area uses a mixed system of rough local stone over soil seeded with lawn grass. If properly watered, it will produce a system of natural cooling by evaporation.
