Barcelona House

Ström Architects Ltd

Short description

The house is located in the hills just outside Barcelona, and enjoys unobstructed 180º views along the Mediterranean coastline to one side, and pine forests to the rear.

Local restrictions on footprint area meant that we needed to design a two-storey building to house the clients’ brief. The site slopes heavily in three directions, allowing us to stagger the building and spread the accommodation out. We positioned the upper storey at the top of the crest of the hill, giving the feeling of a single storey house, whereas we are in fact utilising the slope to bury another storey underneath.

This allows the house to make a more sympathetic impact on the hillside, with just one storey being read above the ground level. The thin projecting roof edge also gives the building a sense of lightness, and a more discreet finishing to the top of the building. It reinforces the horizontal plane, and draws the viewer’s eye across the building; from the inside, this projecting plane directs your gaze out towards the horizon.

The spectacular view was one of the main drivers in the design, so the primary living spaces and the master bedroom take in the expansive views from the uppermost level - giving a sense of being on top of the world. The large roof with a 6m cantilever provides plenty of shading to the glazed facades as well as offering shaded external area for sheltered outdoor living year-round.

The open plan of the first floor is broken down in zones that are defined by a free-standing kitchen and a large indoor olive tree. Floor to ceiling glazing can be opened-up to extend the floor plate, making a seamless inside outside connection.

The extensive glazing and the rooflight over the olive tree, exemplify how natural light is very important in the house. Upon entry, visitors are immediately met by light spilling down around the tree, giving a soft and welcoming atmosphere. The full-height glazing around the perimeter of the dining and living spaces floods the space with light – but the exterior overhang prevents glare or direct sunlight. The floor finish (Baxab microcement) has a gentle sheen which helps to reflect light around the space, whilst the ceiling and external soffit are clad in oak to soften and temper the light so that the space does not appear overly bright.

An L-shaped infinity pool wraps around 2 sides of the living room, allowing the immediate built context of the house to blur into the backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea. It muddles the distinction between the built environment, and the natural one; this creates a wonderful sense of the house and terraces being part of their surroundings.

On the lower floor, there is a large garage, two bedroom suites and ancillary spaces. Being sunk into the hillside, the spaces down here are smaller, more cellular, and have less priority than the larger more expansive spaces above. However, we have ensured to provide large areas of glazing to the bedrooms so that they too can enjoy views out and benefit from natural light.

We designed a cast in-situ concrete structure for the house, allowing us to employ techniques such as pre-cambering to create large cantilevers. The overhanging roof to the upper storey was cast with the perimeter formwork set 300mm higher than the intended roof edge level, which allowed for 300mm of settling once the formwork was removed.

The glazed corner of the living room is supported on a discreet concrete column, whilst the rest of the floor is free from all structure. This emphasises the openness of the plan, and the expansive views beyond.

We eschewed fussy detailing, and ornament for the sake of adornment. Instead, we believe that the materials themselves should be celebrated and viewed for their inherent worth and beauty. The planes and volumes of the building are simply read, and the purity of the design lends a degree of humility to this prominent site. The focus is on the views and the materials, not on an ego-driven design or flashy aesthetic.

The house is finished in robust, but beautiful materials: concrete, local stone, and oak cladding. This lends a sense of permanence and natural ruggedness to the house, that lends gravitas to the lightweight soaring planes of the roof and delicate detailing throughout the interior. Internally we have microcement flooring and some areas of cast in-situ concrete wall panels; we also have oak soffits and oak joinery to the kitchen. This gives a softness, tactility, and warmth, to set against the coldness of the concrete.

Externally, the textured ribs of the oak cladding contrast against the smooth surfaces of concrete and help to provide articulation and visual interest. The stonework is focused on the lower level, where the building meets the ground. The use of local stone truly beds the house into its context, and makes it feel as though it has grown out of the hillside.