S122 House. The house in the municipality of Silla is located in the district of Huerta Sur, between the city of Valencia and Albufera National Park. Due to its proximity to the port, the fields and the city, this area is characterised by the proliferation of industry around the provincial capital.

 

The corner plot extends across 225m2 and is in a new residential area with terraced housing. Only recently developable, the area and the trapezoid shape of its boundaries set the tone for the project.

 

The commission that we received was to create a property for a young couple. The plot was in a recently-created urbanisation and was heavily limited by building regulations. Another significant constraint was that the surroundings of the plot were nothing particularly special. What’s more, the distant views from the site were mainly of the industrial part of the town. But how, through architecture, could we create a property that does not relate to its environment and yet at the same time enjoy that necessary relationship with the outside space?

 

Design strategies

 

The house in Silla makes design its main connecting thread. Its main objective was to seek shelter from the environment, creating outside spaces that can be opened up and make the place liveable, which was achieved in two ways:

 

The upper floor is made up of a neat box that is closed off from the distant views. A patio space opens it up to the sky, creating a perfect space to illuminate and ventilate the main rooms. Skylights were placed to illuminate the interiors in a strategic and staged manner.

 

The lower floor stretches to the limits of the plot, copying its trapezoid shape. A base board skirts the outside, protecting the building and encasing the necessary windows and doors. The empty space created between the upper and lower floors is given over to a large terrace that breathes life into the day area.

 

These two volumes are so different that the connecting element is vital. This takes the form of a beautiful staircase at the house’s axis of symmetry, drawing in everyone’s attention as the pièce de résistance.

 

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