Casa ACAP Catalunya, Spain property, Modern Spanish homes design, Iberian residential architecture

Casa ACAP in Catalunya, Spain

13 November 2024

Architects: Alventosa Morell arquitectes

Location: Das, Catalunya, Spain

Photos by Adrià Goula

Casa ACAP, Catalunya

The commission for Casa ACAP involved designing a single-family home on a compact, sloping plot in Baixa Cerdanya. Located in Das, a picturesque village in the Pyrenees with sweeping views of the Tosa de Alp Mountain, Casa ACAP is carefully positioned to capture the dramatic northern mountain views while allowing sunlight to stream in from the south. This orientation maximizes visual and thermal comfort throughout the home, ensuring each space receives ample light and warmth.

The clients, a young family with children, envisioned a home that would serve as a peaceful escape from city life, a place to rest and connect with nature. Their vision included a luminous interior with generous, well-connected common areas that would open out into a garden. With this in mind, the design prioritizes an inviting atmosphere and a close connection to the surrounding landscape.

When exploring the nearby houses, we observed that most neighboring buildings were square-shaped and centrally placed within their plots. This layout left equal amounts of vacant space on each side, resulting in narrow and indistinct garden areas without any real focal points. The internal layouts of these homes typically grouped rooms in a line, limiting the enjoyment of views to only a few rooms at a time. In contrast, our design for Casa ACAP features a long, rectangular volume stretching towards the edges of the plot. This approach freed up space at both the front and back of the property, creating two spacious and distinctive garden areas.

Organizing the layout in a rectangular floor plan allows all rooms to face both north and south, simultaneously capturing the scenic mountain views and optimizing sunlight exposure. The home’s exterior construction features a light timber frame system complemented by Llívia stone cladding on the facade, harmonizing the structure with the natural surroundings while lending durability and character.

Inside, a large double-height space on the ground floor houses the living and dining areas, enhancing the sense of openness. This central area is separated from the kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom by a striking wooden staircase. On the upper level, the bedrooms are positioned along the northern facade, granting unobstructed mountain views. A south-facing corridor connects these rooms and contains a full bathroom at each end. This layout not only ensures functionality and privacy but also creates a fluid, welcoming environment that fulfills the clients’ vision of a retreat harmoniously integrated into its natural setting.

Casa ACAP, Catalunya, Spain – Property Information

Architecture: Alventosa Morell arquitectes – https://www.alventosamorell.com/
Year: 2023
Location: Das, Catalunya, Spain
Programme: Single-family house
Area: 240 sqm
Authors: Josep Ma. Alventosa, Marc Alventosa, Xavier Morell
Team: Joana Tril Queralt (architect), Marga Bernadó Tomàs (technical architect)