jesús perales builds casa almudena as an asymmetrical brick residence in spain

architect jesús perales has built casa almudena for a couple and their two kids as a brick-clad residence with concrete roofs in banyeres del penedès, catalonia, spain. built with the objective of the family spending as much time together as possible, no matter in which room of the house they are, the project is organized through a series of continuous paths that cross each other at certain points, with a central axis: a glazed indoor courtyard.

all images by marcela grassi

jesús perales has constructed the family residence on an asymmetrical plot, with various of its irregular sides extending toward the surrounding landscape of the banyeres del penedès vineyards while reserving enough privacy for the interior. developed around a central courtyard, casa almudena incorporates a series of spaces, including a kitchen, living room, and bedrooms for the couple and its two kids, defined by the different continuous paths. ‘this shape allows us to create a house with circularity and link the different parts of the living,’ explains the spanish studio. ‘for that reason, it doesn’t matter if you are cooking dinner while kids are doing homework: you always have the feeling of being with your family.’

the house’s construction combines red brick on the walls, concrete floors and roofs, and wooden beams, as well as while large windows throughout that bring plenty of natural light within interior spaces. the concrete roofs have been kept with all their history: formwork line and imperfections that occurred during the workings process. beyond paths, each room of the house has been built independently, piece by piece, working on inclined roofs that give a different expression to each room of the house. ‘we wanted to supply the house with humanity working with materials in sight: ceramic, concrete and wood,’ adds perales.