House in Cabanillas del Campo / Taller Abierto

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Text description provided by the architects. The transfer of city life to a rural environment is a current topic in the commissions that architectural studios receive nowadays. This house is the consequence of the owners' decision to exchange a fifth-floor flat with views of the city for a house with trees and a garden in a nearby village. The first ingredient, the location, simplified the design decisions in many ways. Its dimensions and orientation allow the house to sit on one side, as if it was a white cat lying in the sun, stretched out as far as it can. This decision means that most of the rooms open into the southeast and the garden, taking advantage of the morning sun and the views over a nearby exterior. This first structuring line is complemented by the rest of the program, configuring an L-shaped floor plan. The rooms are placed on the larger side of the L, and a porch and a garage are placed on the short side. Forming another L-shape symmetrical to the previous one is a group of holm oaks and oak trees, which provide a backdrop to the landscape and greater intimacy to the interior of the plot. Between the two L-shaped volumes, there is a grassy area and a bathing area, surrounded by the house and the trees. The interior also benefits from the relationship with the boundaries. This condition allows a controlled opening towards the northwest, enjoying the cultivation of other plant species such as flowering pear trees, jasmine, and ivy that cover the dividing walls, as well as ground surfaces covered with vinca and rosemary. The pear trees provide protection from direct sunlight on summer afternoons, and as a whole, the vegetation manages to condition an exterior with which the house establishes crossed air circulation.