camps felip shapes its 'house 016' as a cluster of sloping volumes

a cloistered home in spain

Girona-based studio Camps Felip Arquitecturia has recently designed a residence known as House 016. The dwelling is situated in the Catalan town of Caldes de Malavella and takes shape to exemplify contemporary architecture designed with a focus on sustainability.

The house’s unique geometry is one of its most notable features, with six volumes arranged around a central courtyard. Each volume’s size and proportions are determined by its specific use, resulting in a harmonious composition. The volumes are all interconnected through a cloister-like space, which serves as the main entrance and circulation area, gravitating around the courtyard.

images © José Hevia

framed views throughout house 016

The team at Camps Felip Arquitecturia notes that its House 016 has ‘three different ways to look at and relate to the outside environment.’ The first is an intimate view, which opens onto an inner courtyard through the connecting cloister space. The second is a horizontal view which frames different moments of the garden to establish a direct relationship with the outside while preserving intimacy. Finally, there is an open and wide view of the sky that is provided by the relationship between the structure, the roof’s geometry, and the load-bearing walls.

The central courtyard opens slightly on one side to generate a sense of continuity with the garden, allowing a natural and energetic permeability between the house and the forest. What’s more, the house is passively cooled with cross-ventilation to provide fresh air to indoor spaces.

sloping rooftops collect rainwater

The House’s unique structure also minimizes the amount of material used while allowing for large spans of up to twelve meters with a nine-centimeter slab of laminated wood, which the team at Camps Felip Arquitecturia notes is due to the structure’s diagonal geometry.

Another noteworthy feature of House 016 is the series of sloping gabled rooftops which are finished with green-glazed ceramic tiles and collect water like a leaf. These tiles reflect and blend in with the surrounding trees, providing a natural aesthetic. Some of this collected water is also used to irrigate the garden, which is designed according to the principle of saving water by using plants which require little watering.

large picture windows open onto the surrounding gardens the pitched rooftops are expressed along the interiors with dramatically sloping ceilings