House in Fonolleres. 2011-2014
Girona

The house is situated on the outskirts of Fonolleres, in an area recently built, with similar-size plots and panoramic views of the town centre and the Baix Empordà fields. It is made up of an 8mx21.5m long single volume distributed over two floors, with a total usable area of 250m². The solid rectangular shape, the façade’s modulation, the internal double heights and the prefabricated materials used resemble a building more similar to a factory, a barn or rural warehouse rather than an isolated traditional farmhouse (masia).

Access to the house is via a ventilated space to promote airflow. The lower floor contains the living room, dining room, kitchen and a sheltered external area, creating a connected and permeable element with the external space. The dining room’s double height visually responds to the circulation area on the first floor, offering access to the bedrooms, while providing cross ventilation. The first floor accommodates the master bedroom, a bathroom and an external courtyard with a shower. On the opposite side of the first floor there is a guest room with a panoramic terrace and a bathroom adjacent to the three daughters’ bedroom, with a small staircase, which provides direct access to the garden.

The structure is made of metal, while the floor is timber-laminated board, finished with water-based varnish. The façade’s light panels are riveted to a façade’s steel substructure, promoting airflow. Casement windows are finished with galvanised steel and treated pinewood slats, separated from each other by a few centimetres to permit airflow.

Landscape is changeable, determined by the next-door farmer, creating continuity with the house’s own garden. An area has been allocated for an orchard and fruit trees, offering shaded areas over the summer months.