MH.AP Studio: This house in the Spanish coastal town of Salou is the result of a collaborative effort with our clients. Alba's vision of a sloping roof with exposed wooden beams and Oriol's desire for a house that connects with the garden without sacrificing privacy led us to explore openness, proportion, and shape. We drew inspiration from the local poultry ranches, mixed materialities, and Colombian haciendas to create a design that resonates with the surrounding architecture while incorporating unfamiliar formal expressions.
The ground floor is organized around the landscape. To the north, two single bedrooms share a bathroom, while the south-facing living spaces open to a tropical-style porch, blurring the boundary between the interior and garden. The main bedroom is placed on the east side of the house, allowing the couple to access the pool from their bedroom easily. The upper floor is an open space that functions as an artist's studio and playroom. In the future, this room can also be transformed into a third bedroom with an independent bathroom.
The couple wanted to have as many rooms on the ground floor as possible to connect with the outdoors. Because of this, we accommodated two single bedrooms sharing a full bathroom on the north facade near the entrance and an ample space containing the living areas on the south facade. This space opens entirely to an outdoor shaded area inspired by the colonial architecture in South America, where the red-tiled verandas with square pillars work as a transitional and living area.
Guided by traditional Mediterranean architecture, our sustainability strategy focused on building thermal inertia. Single-layered 40cm thick cellular concrete brick walls, in-situ concrete floor with integrated heating and double-layered roof with 20 cm of cork insulation and ventilated tiles enhance comfort while reducing energy consumption.
