vaulted ceilings and arabic tiles shape ripolltizon’s island house in mallorca

a mediterranean house on a hill

With its palette of earthy materials, the newly completed House in Puntiró has been completed by Mallorca-based architecture studio RipollTizon. seamless integration of design and landscape. Embedded into its sloping site, the house frames postcard views across the Spanish island of Mallorca toward the Bay of Palma beyond. The design of the home is informed by its challenging site, together with strict regulations mandating a primarily rectangular plan, a simple volumetric design, and a sloping roof clad with traditional ceramic tiles. Thus, the team located the dwelling at the upper part of the plot, organizing it as a series of stepping levels to follow the profile of the land.

images © José Hevia

the terraced dwelling by studio ripolltizon

Embracing the topography, RipollTizon’s House in Puntiró, Mallorca takes shape as a terraced dwelling designed for two families and frequent guest visits. The architects organize the project to comprise two independent private areas. Each section includes a master bedroom, an adjoining multipurpose room, and a bathroom, complemented by standard shared spaces. The floor plan, almost square in shape, strategically places private spaces on adjacent sides, ensuring independence for each family while shared spaces are organized along a diagonal axis oriented towards views over Mallorca. Three unique courtyards each serve as thresholds. One of the courtyards, covered with a light structure supporting climbing plants, creates a shaded, semi-outdoor living area.

the House in Puntiró follows the steep topography, overlooking postcard views toward the Bay of Palma

learning from mallorca

The team at RipollTizon employs construction solutions traditional to Mallorca with its House in Puntiró, blending natural materials with dynamic textures. Load-bearing walls and one-way slabs resolve the structure while defining living spaces. The interior topography is shaped by stepping floors and staggered ceilings, all of which is enclosed with a sloping roof with Arabic tiles, lending a ventilated and accessible air chamber through which installations run. The use of lime mortar for load-bearing walls and exposed beams and slabs further adds a light, mediterranean atmosphere to the sunlit home.

three unique courtyards serve as thresholds, with one serving as a living space shaded by climbing vegetation 
the terraced home adapts to the land’s contours to lend a strong connection with the outdoors
designed for two families, the house features two independent private areas connected by living areas

interiors enclosed by vaulted ceilings finished with Arabic tiles in earthy hues

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project info:

project title: House in Puntiró

architecture: RipollTizon | @ripolltizon

location: Puntiró, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

lead architects: Pep Ripoll, Juan Miguel Tizón
collaborators: Cristina Oliver, Sandra Bernalte, Maria Wolonciej, Carlos Antón
surveyor: Toni Arqué
structural engineering: Jorge Martín Ortega

completion: 2023

photography: © José Hevia