james&mau perforates the facade of casa menta

james&mau perforates the facade of casa menta
photo © luis salazar
all images courtesy of james&mau arquitectura

in regards to energy efficiency, james&mau arquitectura has created ‘casa menta,’ a weekend house located in the spanish country side of the tarragona province. the project relies on a bioclimatic architecture, adapting the form and positioning of the house to its energetic needs: natural ventilation, passive solar design, and intelligent façade. thus, the 100m² residence the house was designed as a ‘living box,’ which can be opened, closed, switched on to be heated, and cooled down effortlessly.

the inside of the house contrasts the exterior with clean white hues
photo © luis salazar

the veneer system uses corten steel panels which create an eye-catching contrast with the green context. these shutters play an important role both for the aesthetic value of the house and its energetic efficiency. they are perforated with the shape of mint leaves and work as solar protectors allowing air and light to pass through. during the day, luminous forms are projected onto the interior and while the exterior is illuminated at night.

corten steel panels contrast the surrounding trees and shrubs
photo © luis salazar

instead of using shipping containers, infiniski decided to use four prefabricated metal modules as the structure. the walls are composed of an eco-friendly insulation layer made of sheep wool, and cellulose panels. with the joint action of its  eco-friendly building materials and renewable energies, the thermal efficiency of the house was recognized with the highest level of energetic efficiency by the catalan institute of energy.

perforations on the facade project sunlight onto the interior
photo © luis salazar

simple rocks frame the exterior spaces
photo © luis salazar

detail of the perforations at night
photo © luis salazar

the mint leaves are intended to reflect the plants outside
photo © luis salazar

at night, the perforations disappear
photo © luis salazar

the client with their home
photo © luis salazar

light from the interior illuminates the steel at night
photo © luis salazar

view of the entire structure from afar
photo © luis salazar

building process photos
photo © luis salazar

project info: 

descriptive note: infiniski mentahouse
type: individual house
constructed area: 100 m2
architects: James & Mau
location: reus, tarragona province, spain
general contractor and manager: infiniski
year: 2011
execution time: 3 months

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.