Cubic shapes on the ground. L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects
13/04/2023.
[Caldes de Malavella] Spain
metalocus, OSCAR A. SÁNCHEZ
metalocus, OSCAR A. SÁNCHEZ
Jaime Prous Architects studio completed a project of twenty-three homes in a privileged location, surrounded by nature, meadows, lakes and a dense pine forest. Houses are located in a golf resort in the town of Caldes de Malavella in Gerona, very close to the Mediterranean coast.
The architecture proposed by the authors, which they describe as leisurely and autochthonous, is an interesting game of cubic volumes of different proportions that break down on the plot and adapt to the terrain in an organic way between anthropized nature, and the shadow of the pines.
The architecture proposed by the authors, which they describe as leisurely and autochthonous, is an interesting game of cubic volumes of different proportions that break down on the plot and adapt to the terrain in an organic way between anthropized nature, and the shadow of the pines.
L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects. Photograph by Alejo Bagué.
L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects. Photograph by Alejo Bagué.
L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects. Photograph by Alejo Bagué.
L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects. Photograph by Alejo Bagué.
L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects. Photograph by Alejo Bagué.
L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects. Photograph by Alejo Bagué.
L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects. Photograph by Alejo Bagué.
L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects. Photograph by Alejo Bagué.
L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects. Photograph by Alejo Bagué.
L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects. Photograph by Alejo Bagué.
L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects. Photograph by Alejo Bagué.
L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects. Photograph by Alejo Bagué.
L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects. Photograph by Alejo Bagué.
L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects. Photograph by Alejo Bagué.
Site plan. L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects.
Ground floor and first floor plan. L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects.
Section. L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects.
Axonometry. L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects.
Jaime Prous Architects grouped the houses to reduce the visual impact, placing them at the highest point of the topography of the plot, formed by some gentle hills. To resolve the differences in height, five types of housing were created, with access through the upper or lower floor to offer a response adapted to the landscape. They all have the same features and colour palette. Whites and earth colours create a united look.
Spatially, the reference to vernacular models makes the rooms simple, a little ornamented, with high ceilings and a lot of wall surface. Technological advances are concentrated on the ground floor. Island kitchens are open to a private patio. The rooms occupy a high cube, open on three sides and with a system of carpentry that disappears into the walls to create a large open porch.
L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects. Photograph by Alejo Bagué.
L’ALZINA by Jaime Prous Architects. Photograph by Alejo Bagué.
Description of project by Jaime Prous Architects
On a dense pine forest gently sloping down to a landscape of meadows and lakes, this complex of twenty-three homes is proposed. The aim is to hide under the thick shade of the pines and go unnoticed with a slow, local and surprising architecture.
Each home is made up of cubes of different proportions that are set at different levels following the natural terrain. The homes are grouped together to reduce visual impact and share the views from the highest point of the hill.
All the houses share the same characteristics and palette of colours: soil red, for the ground that contrasts with the green canvas of the location; and white, for the rest of the architecture in the manner of the whitewashed villages – windows, walls, ceilings. This apparent monotony is fought with five types of housing, which adapt to the variable topography creating entries on the upper or lower floor, in an indistinct manner and in order to preserve the landscape.
Inhabiting these houses resembles returning to vernacular models of simple rooms, little ornamented, high ceilings and a lot of wall surface. Technological advances are gathered on the ground floor. Island kitchens opened to a private patio. The rooms occupy a high cube, opened on three sides and with a system of carpentry that disappears into the walls to create a large open porch.
More information
Architects
Jaime Prous Architects. Lead Architect.- Jaime Prous.
Project team
Antón Monedero, Àlex Pineda, Eduard Romero.
Collaborators
Jordi Chopo, Joan Ramón Blasco, Oriol Ruiz, Marcos Muñoz.
Client
PGA Catalunya Golf Resort.
Area
5,600 m².
Dates
2017.
Location
Caldes de Malavella, Girona. Spain.
Photography
Alejo Bagué.
Jaime Prous Architects
Jaime Prous. Architect since 2006 by the Technical School of Architecture of Barcelona. He began his career in the Barcelona office of Francisco and Damián Ribas. Until today he has carried out outstanding works from residential to sports equipment. He has always combined the practice of the project with research and teaching. He is currently a professor of Technology at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura Vallés. Passionate about traveling, he impregnates his works with foreign influences, embodying his own personality.
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