balzar arquitectos plants valencian residence's red steel volume in an olive grove

Los Olivos House’s facade coats in A warm copper-red hue

Architectural office Balzar Arquitectos designs ‘Los Olivos House’ as an amalgamation of environment, human living, and architecture. Located in Quesa, a small town in the middle of the province of Valencia, originally founded by Spain’s Moorish community, the structure seamlessly blends with the surrounding Olive Grove. The plot is situated on the outskirts of the town and serves as a link between the urban and the rural.

The house is built upon a steel frame structure. Drawing from the popular ‘Balloon Frame’ typology used in the United States, the project develops an innovative system of austere construction. The material used is galvanized steel profiling, which acts as the load-bearing structure for the house supporting the facade and the room partitions. Large metal frames hold the 18m-length openings that allow ample sunlight into the living space. A warm copper-red hue covers the entire facade.

all images by David Zarzoso

architecture maintains indoor and outdoor spatial connection

The ground floor of the property blends in perfectly with its surroundings as three courtyards open up to the scenery while the olive trees grant privacy. A wide verandah, typical of Mediterranean culture in a warm climate, protects against the heat from the West and functions as a staging post between the interior and the outdoor space. A sweeping longitudinal platform with a swimming pool extends out into the olive grove offering views of the sunset shining through the trees. Large windows connect the entrance, garden, and courtyards with all of the common spaces inside the house.

The design team attends to the architecture’s connection with the natural surroundings merging indoor and outdoor areas both spatially and visually. The light and shadows that outline the olive grove reign over the house. The living zone enjoys plentiful sunlight flowing directly on from the verandah and the platform, through a large openable glass door. The en-suite bedroom, with its respective bathrooms, fuses with the outside through two private courtyards.

a sweeping longitudinal platform with a swimming pool extends out into the olive grove

Terracotta tones, marble, and water form a distinct look

The materials, colors, and textures of the composition hold great importance to its distinct appearance. Terracotta tones predominate on the floors and the facade, blending the building into its environment. Exotic marble such as Iranian Travertine, brass, olive green joinery, and water features contrast with each other providing a unique ambiance.

The body of water stands as another focal point of the design carrying a strong presence throughout the house. One end of the outdoor pool is semi-circular in shape and partially covered by a vault and extends into the verandah and out into the olive grove, which acts as the garden of the house. Inside the house, a pool with spa, bathroom showers, large windows, and outside showers complete the experience. Both swimming pools are heated, allowing year-round use.

a warm copper-red hue covers the entire facade

the structure seamlessly blends with the surrounding Olive Grove

galvanized steel profiling acts as the load-bearing structure for the house

terracotta-toned tiles and water contrast with each other providing a unique ambiance

a wide verandah functions as a staging post between the interior and the outdoor space

the living zone enjoys plentiful sunlight flowing directly on through a large openable glass door

1/5

 

 

 

 

 

project info:

name: Los Olivos House
designer: Balzar Arquitectos | @balzararquitectos

location: Quesa, Valencia, Spain

photography: David Zarzoso | @david_zarzoso

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom