Peaceful Family Refuge Inside A Concrete House With Large Wooden Shutters

Nature is precious and even though the cities these days seem to have a real problem with landscape preservation, there are plenty of more remote places where you can get peace of mind and enjoy nature’s beautiful embrace to its fullest. The Santa Pau village from Spain is one such location. It’s here that Arman estudi d’arquitectura were asked to design build a family refuge that would allow the inhabitants to enjoy the simple things. It was equally important to preserve the landscape and to allow the house to make the most of it.

The house embraces the landscape and topography of the site completely
The house embraces the landscape and topography of the site completely
The large wooden shutters soften the harsh and raw nature of the concrete walls and frame
The large wooden shutters soften the harsh and raw nature of the concrete walls and frame

The project was completed in 2017 and the house features a simple, modern and quite modest design. It’s a concrete house with wooden shutters and large windows that bring the outdoors in. It has a large rectangular volume with an open floor plan which houses the living room, the dining area and the sleeping area to the South and the entrance and bathrooms to the North. Each area has separate shutters that can open up completely and connect it to the great outdoors. The relationship between the house and the surrounding environment transforms with each season but is always kept alive and that’s the most amazing thing about this entire project.

These spaces share an open floor plan but at the same time maintain their individuality
These spaces share an open floor plan but at the same time maintain their individuality
the interior design is very simple and oriented towards raw finishes and materials
the interior design is very simple and oriented towards raw finishes and materials
The full-height window overlooks the swimming pool and the beautiful valley in the distance
The full-height window overlooks the swimming pool and the beautiful valley in the distance
There are numerous features made out of wood which soften the harsh look of the concrete
There are numerous features made out of wood which soften the harsh look of the concrete
When closed, the wooden shutters turn the house into a compact box
When closed, the wooden shutters turn the house into a compact box
the simple interior design and subdued colors allow the beautiful views to become the focal point of the project
the simple interior design and subdued colors allow the beautiful views to become the focal point of the project
The entrance and the bathrooms are clustered towards the North side of the house
The entrance and the bathrooms are clustered towards the North side of the house
The open floor plan offers lots of freedom and flexibility and also helps maintain an airy vibe throughout the house
The open floor plan offers lots of freedom and flexibility and also helps maintain an airy vibe throughout the house
The social areas are connected and use furniture as visual delineators between the functions
The social areas are connected and use furniture as visual delineators between the functions
The kitchen looks and feel very open and spacious and lacks the island
The kitchen looks and feel very open and spacious and lacks the island
The swimming pool is situated on a slightly lower level than the interior spaces
The swimming pool is situated on a slightly lower level than the interior spaces
The cantilevered volume forms a protected parking area underneath it
The cantilevered volume forms a protected parking area underneath it
At night the house turns into a huge rectangular lantern
At night the house turns into a huge rectangular lantern