mesura nestles family residence 'casa ter' into spain's mediterranean landscape

located in l’empordà, spain, ‘casa ter’ by mesura is a family residence that branches out towards the surrounding mediterranean landscape. the house is designed to exist in harmony with the site’s topography, while guiding the user’s gaze towards it through strategically-placed openings. its two main volumes follow the land’s natural contours, and seek to intervene in it as little as possible.all images by salva lopez

video by ricard lópez

winner of the 2020 living places – simon architecture prize in the ‘personal places’ category, mesura’s ‘casa ter’ shapes its residents’ experience of space through a strategically-planed layout that highlights the rich natural surroundings. the house is situated in atalaia, an area characterized by the intersection of three distinct landscapes: sea, mountain, and field. its design comprises two volumes which create three different spaces, each branching out towards one of the surrounding landscapes.

in accordance with the existing topography, the first volume of the house is shaped like a slope that rolls down from the mountain and woods of the south side, towards baix empordà and the sea to the north of the plot, and ends in the pool. the second volume, a rotated L-shaped sequence of six squared living spaces, begins in the east part, where the fields lay, and is shaped by the slope of the mountain, creating an enclosed private patio. to its right, the living area slowly points one’s gaze to the pool and a distant view of l’empordà.

instead of the typical glazed façade, mesura followed filmmaker sergei eisenstein’s idea of ‘combining open and closed camera shots to evoke more emotions.’ as such, windows were carefully positioned in order to integrate selected fragments of the surroundings into everyday life. the middle module is the only one that comes with two large glass doors, which transform the center of the house into a porch adaptable to the distinct mediterranean seasons.

higher up on the mountain, the other side of the building encloses the private area of the house, which includes the kitchen and a sequence of three bedrooms. the master bedroom is situated on the second floor, and comes with an enormous catalan vault that contributes to the room’s intimate, private atmosphere. the vault’s geometry corresponds to the extrusion of the curve that is limited by the maximum height allowed, the centerline of the walls, and the façade of the house. the building’s materiality follows local construction traditions of the region, with walls composed of layers combining ceramics and concrete interchangeably.