House on a Hillside | Juan Domingo Santos

Located on a strongly steep slope, the site has magnificent views of Sierra Nevada. Two pavilions on different levels, interconnected by an underground passage, make the day zones independet from the more private rooms dug into the ground.

The entrace to the house is from the roof, a garden/lookout situated above the living room, which allows domestic activities to be taken outdoors. Above the bedrooms, a water tank containing a six metre long patio prolongues the reflected view of Sierra Nevada into the house. The patio inside the tank provides lightining and ventilation to the rooms beneath the water and also acts as a thermal regulator for each season. In summer, the water spills over the walls to provide cool relief from the intense heat, while in winter, it is a natural isolator. The concrete walls in the patio will gradually change over time their colour and texture as moss and lichen start to grow on them.

It was decided to despense with any sort of interior rendering. The concrete structure is left bare, only clad with white plasterboard and the light entrance points to higlight certain positions, providing a special atmosphere to the way the rooms are lit.

Life in this house is a ritual for the inhabitant that ranges from mountain views to being submerged beneath the earth and water. This is a proposal for life that makes reference to a quiet occupation in a natural enviroment.

Location of the project: Otura, Granada

Architect: Juan Domingo Santos

Collaborators
- Project and Technical site management: Carmen Moreno Álvarez, arquitecto
- Team: Javier Castellano Pulido, Alejandro Muñoz Miranda, Margarita Martínez
Barbero, Martin Hochrein, arquitectos
- Engineers: Jorge Silva, GOP- Engineers
- Consultants: Patricio Bautista Carrascosa, ingeniero industrial
- Construction Engineer: Juan Domingo Torres y Manuel Martín Herrero

Construction company: CAUCHIL S.L.

Client: Marcel Amigó Cussó y Esther Ayats Pruñonosa

Photographs: Fernando Alda and Estudio JDS (construction)

Woodwork Furniture: Serafim Pereira Simoes Lda.