Project: Home in the pine forest
Architects: Ramon Esteve Estudio
Location: Rocafort, Valencia, Spain
Area: 6,146 sq ft
Photographs by: Mariela Apollonio
Home in the Pine Forest by Ramon Esteve Estudio
Surrounded by a cluster of trees, the Home in the pine forest by Ramon Esteve Estudio takes its inspiration from its immediate environment. This continuous tiered balcony of a home is located in Rocafort, a suburban area outside of Valencia in Spain and it overlooks a large Mediterranean garden.
The building’s horizontal form extends across the entire landscape, contrasting the vertical composition of the tall pine trees.
Its shape, as well as the rest of the design of the House in the pine forest adapt to the topography. Each space in the interior is oriented to offer stellar views of the adjacent garden while the house’s common areas are distributed.
The home in the Pine Forest is located in an extended residential area, between spacious green areas, woodlands and pine trees. The plot itself, which has a significant topographic slope, holds a large area of natural Mediterranean garden with a cluster of pines, in its lowest area. The housing is located at the top, dominating the environment through a counterpoint relationship with the garden.
CONTRASTS OF GEOMETRY
The project responds to a geometry of contrasts based on this theme: the nature provides the vertical position of pine trees, while the architecture spreads out oblong and horizontal, as a great viewpoint in its setting.THE GARDEN HOME
The house extends as a long continuous tiered balcony, creating a platform that adapts itself to the topography. The whole interior space opens and orients itself to the inherent views of the plot.
SPATIAL FLUIDITY
The spatial continuity is another of the features that characterizes this project. The space of the common areas is almost unique, distributed by permeable elements, such as the fireplace or the staircase. The house is protected on its north facade, facing the access from the street, by controlling the openings, while the south side is open and transparent to the pines, protected by a long porch.NATURE IN THE COLORED PALETTE
Using the palette of natural colours, crude tones, browns, greens… for this, the materials are displayed in their natural state, using wood, natural stone and visible concrete.
The concrete is subjected to a process of tinting to acquire the tones of the stone from the environment, trying to mimic its colour and texture with the natural material, accepting the irregularities and water as a part of the integration process.
Each space in the house seeks practicality: The plant of access to the housing, which hangs like a spacious balcony over its environment, holds the common areas and master bedroom.
The ground floor which is within steps from garden has living spaces that have direct access to the outside. The landscape is formed this way to allow immediate connection with the natural world.
