This residence demonstrates how the development of sound urban planning that takes into account the conditions and solar orientation of a plot facilitates the implementation of bioclimatic strategies during the project design phase.

Environment and Orientation

Where the Pyrenees meet the sea, there is a historic region whose name derives from the ancient Greek colony of Emporion.

Empordà is a dreamlike Mediterranean landscape with rugged cliffs that shape our highly valued Costa Brava.

In this extraordinary setting, we have the privilege of building a single-family home located in a small municipality with exceptionally suitable planning to promote solar bioclimatic design.

A perceptive municipal technician identified that the set of plots in this urban development had a south-facing orientation on their longitudinal side and proposed regulations requiring homes to be attached to the north side of the plot, maximizing the southern exposure and allowing maximum capture of light and heat.

Something that seems so logical and coherent but is so uncommon in urban regulations, which typically rely on standards that do not consider solar orientation.

Thus, the home is attached to its north side, which improves privacy with the neighbor and completely frees up the southern orientation, taking advantage of the longitudinal development to adapt to the terrain and make the most of the outdoor areas.

Project Approach

The project begins with a generous program conceived as a second residence for a family with children who wish to enjoy their leisure time in the company of family and friends.

Therefore, they require four bedrooms, a spacious living room connected to the dining and kitchen area, and a storage space for motorcycles and bicycles, as well as a workshop space and a remote work area.

They are captivated by the views of the Empordà landscapes and have a plot that borders to the west with a green area of agricultural meadows with exceptional views of the Montgrí Massif, so despite needing to capture sunlight, it is important that the house is organized to maximize the views from the western orientation.

Another regulatory requirement is the need to inscribe the ground floor level within a specific height limit, so the building is set below street level. Consequently, through the design of the home’s volumetry, the change in level is minimized by adapting as much as possible to the topography. The house is developed on three levels with a minimal level change of only four steps, resulting in a very horizontal perception.

PROGRAM

At the program level, we distinguish two differentiated zones in the east-west direction:

• A service and night zone attached to the northern boundary of the plot, thanks to the successful planning approach.

To ensure lighting and ventilation of the northern zone, attached to the neighboring wall, courtyards are strategically placed at the level changes so that each room has a direct relationship with the exterior, ensuring absolute privacy for each one.

• A second zone of multipurpose daytime activities that houses the privileged living-dining-kitchen area with dual south-west orientation and a connection area understood as a large hall and multipurpose room that can accommodate living, play, or large celebrations with guests.

If the home is read in the opposite direction, the north-south axis, we realize that the design has avoided dedicating space to circulation areas such as hallways, utilizing and giving purpose to every square meter of the house.

Following this logic, it is possible to combine or compartmentalize the different spatial sequences. For example, by dividing this multipurpose hall we can expand the bedrooms with private living, study, or play space and direct access to the exterior. We can also separate this space from the living area, creating two independent rooms that can accommodate guests or different activities. If left open, we have a large entrance hall or living area where activities independent from the living room can take place while remaining visually connected.

BIOCLIMATIC STRATEGY

At the bioclimatic level, there is a highly differentiated strategy between the cold and warm seasons.

In summer, the south façade is understood at all times as a completely open porch, allowing permanent cross ventilation through the courtyards located to the north and achieving high climate comfort in both outdoor and indoor spaces that feel practically like outdoor or intermediate spaces.

To reinforce this concept, a pergola is placed along the entire south façade to protect from direct sun exposure, and permeable paving is prioritized to allow the ground substrate itself to thermally buffer temperature variations and contribute to generating a sensation of coolness through natural evaporation of water contained in the plant substrate.

In winter, by contrast, the strategy consists of protecting the entire façade with glass to capture sunlight and generate a greenhouse effect that heats the entire home. Thus, the glazed surface facing south, which receives solar exposure throughout the day, captures heat and dissipates it toward the interior, where it is stored in high thermal mass materials, and we prevent it from escaping through high-performance exterior insulation.

With all this, we achieve an environment fully connected to the exterior that maintains a comfortable temperature through passive architectural strategies.