garciagerman arquitectos: ex house, spain

leaving behind the world of urban routines, the client that commissioned garcia german arquitectos to design ‘ex house’ sought a rural retreat and was met with a wood-clad home woven into a dusty, dense forest an hour outside metropolitan madrid proper.

a time lapse of the construction projectvideo ©  jorge lópez conde + marta garcía jiménez

the home optimizes lines of sight to the granite faces of the somosierra mountain range and the southern peaks of la pinilla through two generous apertures that flank a square-plan living area. the double height, temperature-regulating space is but one of a network of sustainable building systems- most prevalent in the almost ubiquitous use of local segovia pine wood as both skin and structure. the blonde, subtly-grained planks and a green roof are in dialogue with a lush group of trees, which also provide the dwelling with a welcoming shade.

all images © jorge lópez conde / pablo zuloaga, courtesy of garciagerman arquitectos

an impressively executed turnkey operation, the home both schematic design and construction phases totaled a mere 8 months, with only 3 months dedicated solely to building. high-strength cross-laminated panels were quartered for transportation and fit into single truck after fabrication in austria. the panels were assembled by a a skilled task force of three people over 5 days.

mountain views are optimized with ample, uniformly sized glazed apertures

part rural reatreat, part  sustainable dwelling, the home seeks to allow the client freedom from urban routines

view of the landscape from the interior living area

the square plan living space is flanked by two, view framing windows

segovia pine characterized the cladding of the warm home

interior views

a recessed volume serves as a picturesque outdoor dining space

the lofted home was built on site in the shade of the surrounding trees

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