The house, designed by the OAM studio, faces south, integrating into the plot through a series of rectangular volumes arranged along a longitudinal axis. Slightly offset from one another, these volumes create porches and patios, protected from direct sunlight by deciduous vegetation. Service areas are located on the north facade, while the bedrooms are situated at opposite ends, enhancing their privacy.
The structure consists of pillars arranged in a regular grid around the porches and 30 cm thick load-bearing walls of cellular concrete, thus promoting the building's energy efficiency. Reed vaults are used for the circulation spaces, and the entire structure is enveloped by a large, single-pitched roof.
Ca’n Gallineta by OAM – Oficina d’Arquitectura a Mallorca. Photograph by José Hevia.
Project description by OAM
The project begins on an elongated plot with a gentle slope. The design adapts naturally to the terrain, positioning itself on the highest point and adopting a longitudinal form. This arrangement minimizes earthworks while simultaneously opening the house to the south, maximizing natural light and views.
To reduce the visual impact and promote integration into the rural environment, the house is entirely on one level. A new carob tree plantation acts as a green screen from the driveway, while the proximity of an existing pine forest helps to soften the building's presence in the landscape when viewed from the hill behind.
The house comprises several rectangular volumes slightly offset from one another, creating intermediate patios and porches. This interplay of offsets breaks the linearity of the façade, adding rhythm, shade, and depth. All the volumes are unified under a large, single-pitched roof, which lends coherence to the whole. In front of it, a horizontal plinth formed by porches and pergolas establishes a constant rhythm and softens the perception of the building's height.
For the design of these porches, with pillars repeated at regular intervals, traditional Mallorcan architecture was used as a reference, particularly the hydraulic structures of the rural landscape that channel water between fields.
The functional layout is clearly organized: a strip of service spaces runs along the north façade, covered with reed vaults, connecting the main rooms facing south. These circulation spaces acquire meaning as they incorporate new uses—the study, the entrance hall, or the kitchen—configuring a dynamic and flexible domestic sequence. The bedrooms are located at opposite ends of the house, ensuring greater privacy.
The construction system is based on 30 cm thick load-bearing walls of cellular concrete, a lightweight and insulating material that prevents thermal bridging and reduces waste generation. Its production requires little energy, and the scraps can be reused, giving it a low ecological footprint and excellent energy performance. The house employs passive design strategies, such as a southern orientation, limited openings to the north and west, the creation of shaded areas using pergolas and deciduous vegetation, and natural sun protection. These are complemented by highly energy-efficient active systems, such as ventilation with a heat exchanger.
Finally, natural and locally sourced materials are used: lime mortar on the facades, thermal insulation with seagrass balls (Posidonia oceanica) collected from the nearby coast, and exterior finishes with crushed recycled ceramic tiles. An architecture rooted in the site, which breathes with the landscape and ages with it.
