Framing a landscape on a slope
The plot is located on the northeast coast of Minorca, Spain, with a magnificent view over the sea. The steep inclination of the plot together with the site regulations made the positioning of the house very limited.
In order to avoid a neighbouring house blocking the views, the Frame House was pushed back to the highest point of the plot and the main entrance was located on the first floor. To further guarantee this clear view, the traditional program was flipped so that the day area is located on the first floor and the bedrooms on the ground floor. Only the master bedroom can be found on the top floor, responding to the clients request to have a summer house that would be easy to open and close for short weekend stays, where perhaps only the couple would reside there. In this way, the house can be understood as a single level loft with an extension for their children and guests below.
The strident contrast between the openness of the sea-view façade, and the opacity of the side and back façades, creates a strong framing effect. To further enhance this gesture, the roof is inclined to open up towards the view, and the whole front façade is glazed from floor to ceiling with large sliding windows.
Using prefabricated hollow core slabs for the roof, usually found only in industrial buildings, allowed the architects to create an 11m-large span to cover a column-free terrace with completely undisturbed views. One whole prefabricated element was removed from the roof creating a large frameless skylight that brings light to the windowless back.
From the kitchen and living room there are large sliding windows that can open up to a 43 square meter covered terrace where gatherings often take place. The master bedroom has a private balcony with no visual connection to the common terrace.
The clients wanted a house that could give privacy for their children, so the children’s bedrooms all have their individual private bathrooms and terraces plus an extra living room only for them. This gives a mix of private and common areas only for the youngest of the family.
In situ concrete was chosen for the façade as a zero-maintenance material that would age beautifully in Minorca’s aggressive climate of high humidity and extreme salt levels. The house’s off-white façade blends in with the ochre and terracotta coloured soil that surrounds the house. Finally, a band of vertical striped relief goes around the façade organizing all windows and doors.
Project: Frame House / Location: Minorca, Spain / Architects: NOMO Studio / Partner-in-Charge: Alicia Casals / Project Leader: Alicia Casals / Project team: Karl Johan Nyqvist, Jordi Ribas, Mira Botsewa, Jennifer Mendez / Collaborators: Structure e2A, Juan Mora SA and Gaimo, Francesc Sbert / Gross floor area: 300m² / Completion: 2018 / Photograph: ©Adrià Goula (courtesy of the architect)
