House in Madrid by DelaVegaCanolasso

For this single-family dwelling in a steep forested area, the architects from DelaVegaCanolasso went with a partly prefabricated construction of steel modules that protrude dramatically over the slope.

“It’s nice when the site suggests from the beginning the spot that the house has to occupy. The clearing of light between the pines even drew its dimension", report DelaVegaCanolasso about what they found on the building site for this single-family home in Madrid. The objectives determined by the architects themselves were to sacrifice none of the pines or holm oaks growing on the lot, and to alter the topography as little as possible.

A light steel structure in a pine forest

To these ends, the house was given a lightweight steel structure that is supported by a wall on the slope side and juts towards the valley thanks to integrated cross-braces. Here the spaces feature extensive glazing, while a tree that has been left standing penetrates the valleyside terrace in front of the house and provides shade.

Modular construction

The construction and spatial divisions are modular. Two modules are home to the two bedrooms and their respective bathrooms. Three further, connected modules accommodate the large cooking, dining and living room. A sixth, separate component is devoted to a home studio. The three modules with the smaller rooms were prefabricated and transported to the building site by the Tini Living manufacturer.

© Paco Marín

Only the open living room was created on site; however, it seamlessly continues the module dimensions of the rest of the building. On the slope side, this area is closed off with a white-painted masonry wall – virtually the only part of the house built using solid construction techniques. Even the carport on the upper edge of the lot is a lightweight construction with a floor of steel grating. The garden comprises the largely undisturbed pine and oak forest, which the architects have merely complemented with maple, fig, lemon and orange trees. In the lower part of the lot, a rainwater-fed pond has been created.

The facade of the studio is made of carbonised pine wood. © Paco Marín

A multi-variant wooden shell

The two structures may form a clearly discernible unit, but there are subtle differences between them: on the main house, the closed facade areas have been coated with thermally treated pinewood. Inside as well, for the most part it is pine plywood that covers the walls. The studio, which stands a bit apart, is set off by carbonized, reused pinewood and birch plywood on the outside, which add a significantly more striking contrast between light and dark.

In the video, the architects give us a look at the interior of the house.