Concrete, natural stone and solid wood build a beautiful 905 square metre modern spanish house, located in Comunidad Valenciana. Architects Ramon Esteve Estudio designed the house as a horizontal program of boxes and sunlight capturing courtyards. The elongated profile is enhanced by a flat roof and a floor that has been raised up 30cm from ground level. The swimming pool stretches flatly across the front of the landscape, forming a perfect reflection of the linear architecture. Overhangs on the exterior cause interplay with the natural light path to the interior, where contrasts of light and shadow shape the rooms.
A long concrete sun terrace extends from the modern home exterior, lining up with the swimming pool’s edge.
Modern outdoor chaise lounge chairs colour coordinate with the raw white concrete terrace, and with bold stonework masses. Trees grow around and even through the perimeter of the property, toying with the vertical plane.
A large wooden deck pulls around the other side of the infinity pool, sitting flat in the green landscaped garden. It creates a grand approach to the main living room, kitchen and dining room of the home, as well as a huge outdoor entertaining area.
In-between spaces materialise among the arrangement of the boxes that are sewn between concrete slabs, and shaded outdoor rooms come to fruition.
LED spotlights warmly illuminate the exterior of the home after dusk, ensuring the outdoor rooms remain functional and inviting.
The stone and concrete built boxes host the common areas of the dwelling. These rooms have both indoor and outdoor floor space, which connect fluidy via huge glass doors.
The modern kitchen diner flows out onto an alfresco dining area with ease and elegance. The same handsome dark wood tone links the aesthetic of each interior and exterior room. “The house is confined within stone walls as an enclosure, thus generating an intimate space where you can build a universe of your own”, explains Esteve.
An ancient olive tree gives the site a sense of history and comforting permanence.
From the inside of the house, specific views of the garden are framed by the exterior overhangs and stone masonry wall extensions.
A small courtyard design employs a roof cutout feature that allows a tree to grow directly through the thick concrete shelter. A flower bed squares off the base of the courtyard, sunk flush into white pavement.
Wooden shutters are both devices of privacy and creators of controlled shade for the home interior.
The swimming pool, pavements, sun patio and wooden decks slide across the horizontal plane in exploded pixelation. The arrangement echoes the differing heights and depths of the house itself, as well as its combination of natural materials and tones.
Another tiny courtyard is bathed in sunlight via a roof opening.
There are also cutaway skylights around outdoor sitting areas to serve the flower beds there. The modern outdoor chairs are positioned under the solid roof for cool shade.
Sunlight travels indirectly into each room, steered by courtyard spaces and exterior overhangs. The cooling effect is enhanced by high ceilings and unique ceiling fans, light decor and open plan spaces. The living room is a minimalist layout of a huge grey L-shaped sofa on a matching area rug. Black coffee tables complement a simple black floor lamp.
Floors inside the home are covered in rich wood planking, in contrast to the exterior exposed white concrete slab. Outdoor dining chairs and a lounge chair match the tone of the solid foundation.
Baseboard lighting washes gentle illumination across the floor of walkways where bright task lighting is not necessary, or desired.
A low bench skims the base of the window wall so as not to interrupt the pleasant view of green plant beds. A smaller isolated sitting area is tucked into the corner away from the main gathering.
Copper accessories colour the kitchen, making perfect tonal additions alongside dark wood grain cabinets. Beige kitchen bar stools pull together with the light walls and floor.
The metallic decorative vases act as a lightening device against a graphite granite countertop and matching backsplash.
Wooden accents shape and separate different elements of the home, and make a natural accompaniment to rugged stone feature walls. The deep stain of the wood creates wonderful contrast with the pale rock.
A unique faucet is highlighted beneath recessed striplights.
The same materials appear time and again in soothing unity.
We see a return of the grey granite inside of a luxurious bathroom suite, within a modern double sink vanity design. Contemporary faucets fill unique sloping basins.
LED ribbons emit a soft glow around the edges of a custom cut vanity mirror to keep the minimalist decor free of additional wall sconces and pendant light fixtures.
A single bedroom chair pulls up to the sunlit garden view with its ancient olive trees. The bright exterior is filtered out by grand wooden shutters.
Much of life is lived on the outside of the shuttered walls, in the exterior sitting rooms that are blissfully shaded by the oversize concrete roof slab. The boundaries of these living space extensions are melded with the garden by the regularly placed mini courtyards that invite plant life closer.
Having plant beds right up at the windows creates a stronger connect with nature as a whole, one that accentuates the beauty of the natural materials used inside and out.
