fernandez-abascalmuruzábal compose residence-study in mijares, spain

fernandez-abascal/muruzábal compose residence-study in mijares, spain

photo © pablo ausúcua

the ‘residence/study in mijares’ sits upon a rural site near the town of santillana del mar in northern spain. designed by architects eduardo fernandez-abascal teira and florentina muruzábal sitges, the house is partially sunken into its gently sloping site, while elevated at its southern corner to provide a small carport. the resulting composition can be seen as three interlocking volumes, which relate to one another through contrasting materials and an alternating window arrangement. beyond the typical living program, the single-family dwelling includes a workshop and small garden, while many of the interior spaces feature wide openings to adjacent outdoor areas.

in describing some of the project’s influences, the architects describe the house’s design as follows:

‘the spaces have a certain air of the californian architecture of the fifties, so well portrayed by julius schulman and recreated by the artist rodney graham in his work ‘the gifted amateur’. they are characterized by the constructive solutions, the big sculptural openings that allow the entry of light and, the spreading of the building in the environment. the otherwise excessively industrial character is toned down by the natural wood used for the flooring, the wavy curtains and the furniture.’

the building’s exterior walls are either finished in aluminum paneling or left as exposed concrete, while the rooftop is covered in vegetation. interior surfaces are treated in a combination of materials including wood flooring, resin based mortar, glass, and gray limestone. to match its modernist feel, the residence includes furniture pieces by le corbusier, charles & ray eames, maarten van severen, ronan and erwan bouroullec, and patricia urquiola.