Single family house in Sant Bartomeu del Grau

In the middle of a forest, on the edge of a cliff, it appears the opportunity to build a single family house to enjoy the peace of the area without damaging the environment. For this reason, it is necessary to open a hole in a thick forest.

Cut down trees and damage the land…

For this reason, the house is built floating over the land, avoiding damaging it. It is also built with wood, reminding us the trees that used to be there, and with an iron structure fixed to the rocks without foundations.

This concept is reinforced with the cantilevered first floor, which welcomes visitors and leads them to the viewing areas. These terraces do not have railings to see the sky over the thick fog. The house is like a box which makes a shy glance to the place.

Inside, it is thought like an empty space as a result of cutting down trees, and it reproduces a balcony in section. To simplify the construction process and to emphasize the box idea, everything is built with the same material: a structural wooden sandwich panel.

Outside, it is covered with a waterproof layer, a steam barrier and wooden chipboard panels, making a ventilated façade. This layer makes the construction have the same colour as the rocks, mixing rocks and wood, looking for some camouflage. The interior partitions and the floor are also done with wood. The natural wood is shown as it is, the chipboard wood is painted white and the metal sheet is painted red.

Photo ©: Eduard Selva