GRX arquitectos celebrates rural living with its casa calixto in granada

in response to the uncertain future of urban living within changing climatic conditions, spanish studio GRX arquitectos presents its residential casa calixto outside the mountainous city of granada. the project is situated in puebla de don fadrique, at the foot of one of the highest peaks in the south of the iberian peninsula. with deep-rooted traditions and a proud population, the region is faced with the dilemma of modernization and respect for its own landscape and culture. in the design of the rusticated stone dwelling, the team speculates a new future which sees a widespread migration from the city to the countryside in the face of political and climatic uncertainty. casa calixto offers a new rural condition which celebrates simple and naturalistic living in anticipation of a future biopolitical reality.

all images by javier callejas and imagen subliminal

GRX arquitectos designs its casa calixto to expresses continuity to the vernacular landscape through a contemporary construction. the house is organized with a straightforward program and expressive materiality. in the construction of the house, the team works with local construction companies to yield an organic, imperfect, and handmade result which offer a dialogue with the local building language. the exterior is clad with a rusticated stone masonry sourced from a local quarry, making use of excess material resulting from the production of large slabs. the nature of the stone itself calls for a manual fabrication that further suggests an integration with the rural surroundings.

in the organization of casa calixto, GRX arquitectos makes use of a simple program which emphasizes a connection with the landscape. an open-plan interior recalls a garage which opens widely to a garden with light, full-height glazing. the design team incorporates a perimeter wall which offers continuity with the vernacular building language and preserves an element of privacy to the occupants. small openings in the wall serve to link the inner domestic world with the sweeping natural context. casa calixto reverses the patterns of modern architecture. architecture does not attempt to dominate the environment, but to become the environment. in this way the walls are not protected from nature, only from the city, generating a refuge from the landscape, a ‘moving garden.’

project info:

project title: casa calixto

architecture: GRX arquitectos

location: puebla de don fadrique, granada, spain

collaborators: jose m. pérez sevilla, maribel fernández díez, romain guigo, sophia heinen, antonio jesús gutierrez camille vinas, dennis graves, tommaso banfi, jose maría rueda romero, diego vincenz, daniel usero, alicia gómez quirantes

photography: javier callejas, imagen subliminal