amsterdam-based studio laura alvarez architecture has designed a rental holiday retreat in the natural park of valles pasiegos, in the north of spain emerging from a stone-ruin within a more than two-hectare terrain of natural landscape. the home typology is based on a traditional construction of the area called ‘cabaña pasiega’ (peasant cabin) but with a contemporary twist.
villa slow from the access and outdoor space
the strategic location of the construction on top of a little hill facing south grants impressive views towards the valley and from the mountain. the scheme of the laura alvarez-designed house is simple: two big panoramic windows in the living room facing opposite directions create a beautiful scenography of mountains, clouds, and trees. these two openings allow to enjoy the impressive views towards the valley and mountains from the spacious living room in the centre of the house.
the well-lit entrance area
two bedrooms are situated next to the living area, on the eastern wing, in the most private side, both with their own bathroom and openings to the infinite landscape. thanks to their generous height, a mezzanine on top of the bathroom core, allows for additional sleeping arrangements. villa slow is designed and built with extreme mindfulness and care for detail. the house is very respectful with the environment in aesthetic and technical terms.
symmetric layout and wooden beams in the living area
the high performance glass warms up the interior in the winter and the big wooden shutters protect from heat gain during summer. all materials used to build the villa are reused from the old stone shed or come from the area of cantabria. the rough exterior stone-walls and roofs contrast with the delicate interior wooden structure and details.
open kitchen facing nature
villa slow is a house of subtle contrasts: rough-delicate, open-closed, wood-grey, interior-exterior, traditional-modern. laura alvarez architecture tries to find balanced solutions in materialization. in this project, wood elements give a warm feeling, whereas white helps understanding the building envelope. a combination of classic sitting furniture and minimalist elements create a very calm space from which enjoying the outstanding natural setting.
the inner and outer spaces are blurred thanks to the large glass windows
spacious living area with warm interior materialization
bedroom within nature
bedroom details
flexible layout
bathroom provided with natural light and views towards the forest
eastern façade — bedroom wing
contrast rough exterior and refined interior
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: lynn chaya | designboom
