marià castelló's dwelling 'ca l'amo' overlooks terraced landscape of ibiza

spanish architect marià castelló introduces a breezy residential retreat entitled ‘ca l’amo’ along the north end of the san mateo plain on the spanish island of ibiza. the site is defined by a pronounced, terraced topography fanned by stone walls that generate the iconic landscape of the ibiza countryside. the progressive abandonment of agricultural activities has over time resulted in the dilapidation and disuse of the terraces, now overgrown with pine and juniper forests. the intervention has been situated so as to take advantage of the last remaining terraces, between two existing dry stone walls which border the rugged, untamed land.

all images by marià castelló | @mcastello_arch

marià castelló works with the territory’s unique pre-existing topographical condition in the design of ‘ca l’amo’. the overgrown terracing forces a linear programmatic organization, maintaining the built area along the flat land without disrupting the bordering forested slopes. the house has been organized in five clearly differentiated volumes, generating between them spaces of gathering, service, visual connection with the outside, and ventilation. the first three volumes house the program for a large family with a high level of social activity. the fourth volume is built as a large exterior shaded area, while the fifth houses an annex with separate access for guests. between the fourth and fifth volumes is the swimming pool and the main leisure and gathering space.

the materiality of the house is defined by a palette of light and breathable timber. the structure is built of cross-laminated wood paneling and has been left exposed toward the interior, concentrating a single structural element for both enclosure and finish. this strategy expresses an attitude of constructive sincerity which generates an atmosphere of comfort and warmth. the team makes use of passive bioclimatic systems with an optimized organization and orientation of apertures, generating air circulation with natural ventilation and taking advantage of the shade of the natural vegetation that surrounds the building. the house further makes use of rainwater by storing it in a cistern of more than two hundred tons that makes it almost self-sufficient in its use of water.