Casa Puçol

Our client dreamed of a house on the beach, a place where he could recover his summer memories of rest and sea. A plot of land located in front of the beach between seafront houses was the place chosen to build his dream. Faced with this challenge, we asked ourselves: How could we mediate the client’s concerns and the existing seafaring urban structure? How to transcribe the richness of traditional seafaring typologies with their continuous spatial axis from the façade to the backyard? How to use the optimal environmental characteristics of the sea to enrich our client’s proposal?

Based on these premises marked by the environment, the house was built based on two single structural and dividing walls of prefabricated concrete panels. On this vertical structure, the two solid slabs of the horizontal structure of the house were supported. This system facilitated the elimination of any type of intermediate columns, as well as the minimisation of the interior partition walls and the incorporation of external cantilevers in order to avoid interrupting the visual dialogue between the house and the sea.

Likewise, this spatial structure enabled us to eliminate the need for mechanical air conditioning and to emphasise the natural ventilation of the sea breeze through the house, producing a continuous sensation of well-being during the day. This air flow was accentuated by the incorporation of natural ventilation at night, thanks to a system of skylights in the central double height. These openings allowed the thermal mass of the dwelling to be cooled by opening them in the early morning.

This project interprets the environmental qualities of the traditional seafaring dwelling, adapting them to the dreams, concerns, and contemporary needs of our client.


Name:

Casa Puçol


Typology:

Single-Family Residence


Location:

Puçol Playa, Valencia


Year:

2011-2013


Surface area:

177 m2


Developer:

Gustavo Ferrer Valero


Team:

Esther Gonzalez Aurignac, Tom Mossel,  Pilar Bosch; Tecnical Architect: Rafael Gimeno
Ingeniería: Windmill S.L


Builder:

Construcciones Alicates S.L