[ A-cero Architects ] House in Santander

The house is located on a 2.204m2 plot presenting a strong slope, with a difference of height of 17m in a 55m long terrain. The site is delimited by the access road on the South, neighbouring plots on the North and East sides and a stepped walkway in the West.

The main idea behind the project is to make a house integrated within the surrounding context, oriented towards the views over the Mera river. The terrain’s slope, which could be seen as a problem, becomes a solution by designing a house closed to the North and open to the South (where the best sights are), therefore protected from the cold temperatures and open to the natural light.

The main design features of this project are the simple volumetric composition, the large glass panes, the projecting shapes that break the uniformity of the straight lines, its ample interior spaces and predominant materials: glass, wood and concrete.

On the facades, a succession of large windows contributes to dissolve the border between interior and exterior spaces. The project unfolds following these conceptual lines by creating a simple yet beautiful volume composition: a lengthwise axis intersects two parallel prisms at different heights; the latter are the key to the volumetric and spatial distribution of the house.

On the ground floor are the dining room and the living room, which are visually connected with the exterior through a pair of large glass sliding doors giving access to the garden. The floor is completed with the kitchen, two bathrooms and the children playroom.

The upper floor consists of two bedrooms with a shared bathroom and a master bedroom with bathroom and dressing room located on a salient block, looking towards the river.

The horizontal block contains the stairs that connect the two floors, the living room, the dining room and a small reading and projection room. On a lower level of the same axis are the parking, laundry room and storage spaces.

The interior has been designed with a great sense of proportion, balance and elegance on its ample, open and functional spaces, defined by the intersections between the different blocks. The use of wood on the flooring gives a warm feeling to the whole house.

An underfloor heating system helps to keep the space clean, avoiding the use of radiators and similar elements. The lighting has been carefully designed; the night views of the house show a harmonic visual effect and transmit a sense of warmth.

The exterior of the building is covered with dark Naturvex, the floor tiles are made of anthracite colour epoxy resin. The roof is covered with a gravel layer. A relax area is located on the back of the house; no artificial materials were used on the exterior gardens.

from  contemporist