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Architects: C.H. Rannacher, Cristóbal Roig
- Area: 350 m²
- Year: 2015
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Photographs:Javier Gonzales
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Manufacturers: Balsam, Eurocas, Stylos, Tic-Tac
Text description provided by the architects. With an approximate 350m2 for the covered areas and another 200m2 for open spaces, like pool and solarium, this house is inserted in a wooded terrain with a private beach just a five minutes walk and the impressive scenery of Caribbean Sea.
As you enter the house through a garden, you encounter a wall, which is one of the two elements that organize and define the project. You proceed to an open space, that includes a built in sofa and a relaxing and conveniently placed hammock, facing a breathtaking view of the scenery.
This entrance also leads to a long corridor defined by a set of columns, having to one side the pool and to the other the air-conditioned dinning, kitchen and social areas. Large glass enclosed areas that can be completely opened to fully integrate the outside.
All of the transitional areas such corridors have three meter height ceilings and are defined by pergola eaves characteristic of tropical architecture.
The social areas themselves have been designed with much taller ceilings and a slight inclination, in order to produce an spacious feeling of comfort.
Both the bedrooms and bathrooms are of the same height as the social areas and all have small private gardens in the rear, which face the forested border of the land and in the morning it is common to see monkeys passing by. The main bedroom is located in the outermost north corner of the house, with a bathroom containing a shower in a glass cube from where to enjoy dramatic views of the sea.
The house is positioned in an elevated podium, separated 60 cms from the ground, so as to create a barrier from the high humidity of the terrain and at the same time add a floating effect to the facades.
In relation to the finishes and color palette, white was chosen as the main and sole protagonist. This was a crucial design criteria; quite different from the terra-cotta kind of colors normally use in this type of architecture.
Polished white concrete was used in floors to achieve an even surface, as well as in the built in sofas and beds, all constructed in situ for a more lasting finish.
The main and solarium pools are prime elements of the house. Located in a central position similar to the patio in a colonial architecture, they are fully integrated into the livings areas and conceived as an integral part of the scheme.
For the finishes of the solarium and exterior areas coral stone was used as to give continuity to the minimalist language of the rest of the scheme.
Lighting was also an in important design element; an adjustable type of lighting was placed along the podium of the house and in the entrance walls in order to accentuate their formal presence.
