[ A-cero Architects ] House in Galicia

A-cero Architects have sent us a house in Galicia, Spain that they have designed.

The house is located on a 2.000m2 plot presenting a strong slope. The site is delimited by the access road on the East, North and Northwest sides, and by a cliff on the West border, a natural balcony with great views over A Corunna’s coast.

The form of the building that evolves starting from these constraints consists of a composition of cubic blocks and oblique walls following different angles that configure the interior spaces. The house is closed on the access façade, while it opens wide to the views on the opposite side.

The interior solution follows a functional space distribution, coinciding with the blocks’ intersections, over 3 floors. The different levels are connected by a series of flights of stairs, located on a fixed part of the building and ending on a beautiful glass floor corridor that connects with the upper level.

The main design challenge of the project is the terrain’s slope, which is overcome by the insertion of a basement level open to the West views, containing two bedrooms with their own bathrooms and closets, a gym and the parking. The lower level is wide open to the views through a terrace and solarium free of any kind of architectural element that could interfere with the sights.

The purity of the external shapes is reflected on the house’s structure: a system of reinforced concrete walls and frameworks contouring the volumes, creating a clear interior space, free of columns that could alter its scale. With this principle in mind, all the constructive solutions work in the same direction, removing all the elements that could distract from the direct perception of the space, like skirting boards, cover plates, knobs and handles. This idea is reinforced by the use of a continuous travertine skin that covers all the exterior walls and, in some cases, the interior, creating a contrast with the dark wooden floors that give a warm and comfortable feeling to the house.


from  contemporist