Villa Arena is a project conceived with a deep sensitivity towards family life. The brief came from a family of six looking for a place devoted to calm, togetherness and contemplation within the coastal landscape of Cádiz.
The clients’ appreciation for detail allowed us to develop a highly sensory design in which architecture does not simply create spaces, but carefully considered atmospheres.
This approach takes shape in an architecture composed of two strong volumes, finished in pigmented lime mortar, connected by a third volume conceived as a void within the house. Open to both north and south, this central space establishes a connection with the exterior, blurring the boundary between inside and out. The two side volumes create a sheltered porch in front of the central volume, protected from the strong winds characteristic of the area. Despite being designed for a large family, the house was intentionally kept compact in terms of its dimensions and interior proportions, maintaining a human scale while providing generous outdoor living areas. These spaces encourage interaction between all members of the family, creating shared gathering points and a continuous sense of togetherness.
The volumetric composition articulates the house at different heights, creating variations in ceiling levels that are not merely formal but also narrative: as the spaces become more private, their scale adjusts and becomes more intimate. The entire interior is resolved with a continuous finish that reinforces the sense of spaciousness and unity, creating a uniform skin that extends across floors, walls and staircases, as though the house had been carved from a single material.
The entrance is defined by a porch from which the kitchen can already be glimpsed and, beyond it, the views towards the adjoining golf course. Entry into the house is through two large antique wooden doors, pieces with their own history and character that frame the threshold into the main volume. Their texture and scale introduce one of the principles that runs throughout the project: the search for materials and elements with history, character and a genuine connection to the place.
This principle forms an essential part of the design concept. During construction, an extensive search was carried out for reclaimed and antique materials from buildings in the surrounding area, with the aim of achieving a result that felt more authentic and more deeply rooted in its context. The terracotta tiles used for the exterior floors, the internal doors, the entrance doors themselves and the wall lights —made from reclaimed old roof tiles— all emerged from this process. The finishes do not imitate the surroundings: they come from them.
The main volume accommodates the dining room and living room in a continuous sequence centred around the staircase, which is also finished in the same continuous material and completed with a natural rope balustrade. The living room has carefully considered proportions, with an exposed board-marked concrete slab forming the ceiling and creating a welcoming, human-scale space designed for family gatherings. At the same time, its large openings connect directly to the south-facing porch and the northern garden, drawing the views of the golf course into the house. The window frames disappear into the walls, intensifying the connection with the exterior. The fireplace is suspended from the ceiling as a sculptural element, reinforcing the living room as the main gathering point of the house.
Visually connected to the living room is the dining room, another intimate and welcoming space that opens onto the garden and accommodates a selection of distinctive interior pieces. Oriental influences —such as a large Chinese cabinet and the Chinese-inspired CH24 Wishbone Chairs designed by Hans J. Wegner— are combined with contemporary elements such as the Aplomb Large pendant lights by Foscarini.
A sage-green lacquered panel opposite the dining room conceals the doors to a guest WC, a cupboard and the entrance to the kitchen, designed by ÁBATON’s kitchen department.
Here, reclaimed terracotta flooring becomes one of the defining features of the space, creating a material contrast with the Macael marble worktop and natural wood. The kitchen opens onto two dining areas designed to be enjoyed at different times of day. One is covered and protected from the sun during the hottest hours, while the other is open to the sky and connected to the golf course, intended for the cooler parts of the day.
The upper floor accommodates only the main bedroom, creating an area of greater privacy. Bedroom, bathroom and terrace are arranged as an open, bespoke sequence. The wardrobes, in a gesture that is both functional and aesthetic, feature heather-clad doors that allow the interiors to breathe —an important consideration in a humid environment close to the sea.
The children’s bedrooms are located at the opposite end of the house. A double bedroom with direct views over the golf course and a bunk room with its own distinctive character, designed to accommodate friends and guests, complete the programme of the main floor. Each has its own bathroom finished in continuous materials, maintaining the sensory coherence that runs throughout the project.
Outside, the house creates a series of gathering spaces that become active at different times of day according to the position of the sun. A more intimate terrace beside the swimming pool receives the direct midday light. The garden, planted with Mediterranean vegetation and incorporating the existing pines and palm trees, envelops the entire house and gives each of these outdoor areas its own distinct character.
Villa Arena is the result of attentive listening: to the family that inhabits it, to the landscape in which it sits and to the materials from which it is made.
