Single-Family House in Cambrils

The owners, captivated by this prime, tranquil location near the coast, required a practical and comfortable residence with well-defined, optimized dimensions. Key design considerations included optimal natural illumination, appealing sightlines, and high levels of privacy. They also requested a dedicated solarium terrace—ideally providing sea views—to be utilized privately and with the potential to integrate a jacuzzi. Finally, a single-bay parking garage was specified.

Analysis: Dimensions of the plot, orientations and sun exposure (soleamiento), views, functional program… We propose a two-story dwelling, with the entire day zone located on the ground floor and the night zone (bedrooms) on the first floor. The program is simple and straightforward, yet the strategic placement on the plot, the volumetric design, and the interior distribution will confer the specific qualities requested by the client

The house maintains an introverted character with respect to the street, from where only the access points and the welcoming entrance are discernible. The entrance features a porch, which offers shelter from the rain, and is highlighted by an attractive, natural timber door.
Conversely, the house opens up significantly towards the South and West, maximizing exposure to midday and afternoon sunlight and engaging with the most private zones of the plot. The living and dining area is conceived as a single, unified space containing differentiated sub-zones. Crucially, each of these sub-zones benefits from direct garden views and access. The garden itself was specifically designed to enhance the seamless indoor-outdoor connection with the adjoining interior spaces. Specifically, the living area is entirely open to the South, leading directly onto a covered terrace (terraza porticada). The dining room features an expansive aperture—effectively a floor-to-ceiling sliding glass wall—that links it to the greenest part of the garden, creating the sensation of dining or relaxing outdoors.

Sightlines play a critical role in this project. This includes views from the exterior toward the interior, views from the interior outward, and views between the internal spaces themselves. Consequently, meticulous attention has been paid to the visual experience from every vantage point.

The kitchen connects directly with the dining room via a double-leaf sliding door and, simultaneously, opens to the south terrace at its opposite end.

The volumes and distribution have been formalized such that every space on the ground floor has its corresponding and dedicated exterior zone.

The bedrooms on the first floor are also oriented towards the South, benefiting from views over the garden.

The less favorable North façade of the dwelling is reserved for service and circulation areas, accommodating the main staircase, distribution halls, and the bathrooms.

For the same reason, the North strip has been designated for the garage, which requires thermal and usage qualities different from the main dwelling. The garage is conceived as an annex volume that is sufficiently set back from the main façade to allow a second vehicle to park externally, but still within the plot boundaries. This same volume incorporates a service room (laundry and storage) with an opening onto the West façade, and a designated, visually concealed exterior space for a clothesline. The main house and the garage are connected via an interior access door.

The roof of the garage volume is finished with white stone, and the owners will subsequently incorporate vegetation in large planters. Access to this roof is provided for the necessary maintenance of the planting. The aperture introduces natural light into a distribution area that will function as a study space. The house features a single, short corridor on the first floor, which is complemented by this open study. This approach yields a new functional space, complete with integrated storage.

The interior staircase extends up to the solarium roof. The final section of the staircase is exterior, adhering to the regulatory height requirements and avoiding the construction of a projecting volume (a ‘bostezo’) that would compromise the aesthetic balance of the building’s massing. From the solarium, sea views are enjoyed.

The construction system for the dwelling features load-bearing walls with an SATE (External Thermal Insulation Composite System) façade and sections of ventilated façade. The incorporation of a porch and solar shading where most needed ensures the home will be highly energy-efficient with low thermal expenditure

Location: Cambrils

Client: Private

Built Area: 207 m2

Structural Engineering: Windmill – Structural Consultants