etb studio: hacienda de las flores

‘hacienda de las flores’ by etb studio all images courtesy etb studio

‘hacienda de las flores’ by etb studio is a design proposal for a new centre of hospitality in villafranca de los barros, spain. intended to provide a layout and atmosphere that is more like a town rather than a building, the dynamic complex is carpeted with brightly coloured flowers. largely influenced by the ‘haciendas agricolas’, a collection of white buildings that dot the landscape of southern spain, the design consists of several separate components that generate a flexible system of smaller volumes.

rendering of the inner garden

an original volume is divided up and placed according to the direction of and the search for light. the resulting arrangement facilitates a great variety of open spaces, patios and gardens protected from the nearby traffic. the facade of each building is garnered with a different type of flowering creeper, creating a variety of identities, colours, light, and depth of fragrance. each block, which houses a group of 8, will be given the name of the respective flower, creating a ‘barrio florido’.

flower facade from the interior

the idea of basing the buidling on a framented ‘vernacular type’ through an abstract concept is a way of going back to working with the elements present in the landscape. by reworking it in a contemporary manner, the architecture can be inserted into the landscape in a continuous and complex way.

types of flowering creepers used on each building’s facade

gold showing the flower facade

physical model

(left) mass model (center) sketches (right) exploded axo