Architects & FirmsNordEst Arquitectura ✕

Location: Rupià, Spain
Project size: 5,750 square feet

Program: For a family living in Barcelona, NordEst Arquitectura designed a pair of vacation houses about two hours north in Rupià, near Girona. One abode is for the parents, the other for their two sons—but both share an outdoor space and an architectural vocabulary.

Design Solution: The two houses more or less mirror one another—each wraps around an intimate, private patio on the ground floor, which also accommodates living, dining, and kitchen areas. However, to the south, a common outdoor space with paved surfaces, landscaping, and a pool serves as a place where the family can come together. The second floor of each house includes additional guestrooms—offering a place to stay for extended family and friends as well.

Photos © Filippo Poli

Structure and Materials: The prefabricated concrete wall system ensures assembly efficiency, lowers water consumption, and meets standards for the necessary air tightness for Passivhaus certification. Compressed-earth blocks, terra-cotta tiles, larch wood, and plaster clad this system, establishing a coherent palette and comfortable atmosphere.

Additional Information
Completion date: May 2024
Site size: 0.45 acres
Total construction cost: Withheld
Client/Owner: Withheld

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Photos © Filippo Poli

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Images courtesy NordEst Arquitectura; click to enlarge

Credits

Architect
NordEst Arquitectura
Plaça de la Font 4, Palau-Sator, Girona, Spain
www.nordestarquitectura.com

Interior Designer
Maria Jiménez Pibernat

Engineers
Structural: GMK Associats

General Contractor
EvoWall

Photographer
Filippo Poli

Specifications

Exterior Cladding
Masonry: Fet de Terra (compressed-earth blocks)
EIFS, ACM, or other: Weber

Windows
Wood frame: Weru