Inside a Semi-Buried Eco-Home in the Hills of Barcelona

This was a declaration of intent, because I've always believed

that we must promote site-integrated architecture.

And that is the principle of architecture: the happiness of people.

The land dictates the design. So, it was a very steep plot,

with views to the south,

and the plot of land faced the west.

The design of the house

came together according to the south.

A southern orientation is best for a bioclimatic house.

It's when the sun is high

and heats the top part of the roof.

That is, in Mediterranean climates, we must seek protection in the summer.

It's the opposite in the winter. We want the sun, which is much lower,

to shine into the house to warm it up.

It's the core principle that defines the concept

of site-integrated architecture that is in harmony with the landscape

and, at the same time, of a fully functioning bioclimatic design,

because the best insulation we have is the soil.

Because there's a steep slope,

the top layer that was dug up

was placed on top of the roof, and then it was landscaped.

Integration with the landscape must prevail.

The architect must not only design the home in situ,

but also take a step back to see

how the people who've been observing the site for a long time

discover that home. This home isn't discovered

since it's fully integrated into the landscape.

What drew me most to this house that was built so long ago,

40 years ago, almost my own age,

is the vision it had, far ahead of its time,

despite how old it is.

How it respects its surroundings, how it integrates in nature…

I was enthralled by the grass on the roof.

And also its design: the shape, the geometry.

I'm a graphic designer,

and all that felt very ahead of its time to me.

It's still current, so to say.

The essence of the shapes is never lost,

and this house has materialised them in its walls.

That's what appealed to me the most.

Despite all these years, you can still feel

that it's very current.

Ignacio, the previous owner,

with whom I forged a good relationship over time,

was also looking for a connection:

who would continue to live in this house.

You get a great sense of love for this project,

and I'm here to extend that in some way.

I thought it was fair to open the doors to make it visible.

Many people hadn't seen it or didn't know about it.

And, since the first second I came to see it,

I thought it was a masterpiece.

Creating something back then, when nowadays discussing sustainability

or caring for and being aware of the environment is very natural,

wasn't common 40 years ago.

And that sensitivity towards nature, towards the landscape,

but also towards architecture and all the integrated knowledge,

is something that I also feel, but in my own field.

With natural elements, but transferred to the digital world.

Or how I use digital components, which I grew up with,

to create something more sensitive

or more respectful of the materials,

with other disciplines I also love and respect.

I believe this sensitivity is unique, and people either have it or they don't.

Some acquire it, some cultivate it,

but I think this was a connection that was felt at first sight,

and I'm proud of being able to share it.

In every project, you must walk across the land

and uncover all the natural factors that are already there,

starting with rocks, birds, trees,

pebbles, everything.

All of that is inspiring.

For example, a tree can provide

the initial design concept for a home because it may go in a patio.

A rock can start to look like a step.

So all these components are essential

for an integrated architectural design.

The stone in this area is granite.

So the striated concrete with river gravel,

which comprises the entire facade,

seamlessly blends in with all the surrounding stone.

In a way, the idea was for the terrain to slope upwards

towards the house and fully integrate into it.

The greatest challenge in this project is the back entrance.

When you go down, it's like a hole in the ground.

You go in, open the window, and you face the sea and the interior.

All this adds an interesting sensitivity to the project.

Then, we also considered the possibility of someone building a house there,

so the living room had to be elevated enough

so its view would never be obstructed.

It's important to note all these issues

to develop a logical and balanced project.

Someone like him who loves architecture

and who discovers this home which, despite the years that have gone by

and thanks to how it was built, is a very interesting home

that also solves fundamental problems,

evokes a sense of kinship.

We're from the same family, so to say.

He likes art, he's an artist.

This house is also an artist.

So there was an immediate connection.

Having Javier is a privilege

because I can call and ask him about anything.

And also about having the house, understanding it, learning more.

So I have a great starting point there.

There are challenges too, because I'm also evolving in my career,

throughout this 15-year journey I've been on,

in which I travel through different sectors

and manifest different curiosities.

The first computer I knew of, which was from France, the first one,

performed a temperature analysis on the house for an entire year

and we created the Monitor program, which explained the project,

how it had been done, and then the house's energy performance.

It turns out there was a temperature difference

of only between four and six degrees from summer to winter,

which was surprising. Why?

Because soil is the best type of insulation.

It's an example of architecture that was novel back then,

even though these designs existed in many places in the past,

in order to make studios assume responsibility

to create more eco-friendly architecture,

since they said this was eco.

But I always thought that this dwelling was a logical dwelling.

Personally, my favourite part is the living room because it's circular

and also because it has views. So this is my favourite part.

I'd also say my favourite part is the living room,

but I don't want to repeat Javier's choice, so I'll go upstairs.

This is the area with the most panoramic and beautiful view,

and what you'll discover later peeks out a little bit.

And we get a hint of the architecture,

with the walls and the rest that start to peek out:

the concrete, the rocks, which I think is spectacular.

When you find out there's an entrance, it becomes even more magical.

It's like, I want to go in and see what's in there.

When I need to go somewhere to think or something like that,

I go to the top part and start walking around there.

I think the most important part of architecture is harmony.

Like Javier did back then,

I imagine he had lots of creative freedom,

and that freedom allows you to create without any limits.

Being able to manifest that so that, in the future,

it's on a canvas, so to say.

In Javier's case it was the land, while for me it's the house.

So I'd like that extension

to be made visible in the future.

For me, this house will be a medium of expression.

Even though my medium of expression has been digital all these years

because it's what I know and what I developed all this time,

I'd like to see how I can manifest

many of the concepts and the experiments present here.

I hope you're very happy.

And that is the principle of architecture: the happiness of people.