NOMO STUDIO creates a house to frame the views of menorca

architecture practice, NOMO STUDIO, has designed the ‘frame house‘ on a plot situated on the northeast coast of the spanish island of menorca. the main concept behind the project aims to create a built form that makes the most of the magnificent views overlooking the sea. the steep inclination of the plot together with site regulations made the positioning of the building very limited. in order to avoid the house in front blocking the views, the scheme was pushed back to the highest point of the site and the main entrance was located on the first floor.

images © adrià goula

to further guarantee the impressive views, NOMO flipped the traditional program so that the day spaces are located on the first floor, while the bedrooms are on the ground floor. only the master bedroom can be found on the top floor, responding to the client’s request to have a summer house that is easy to open and close for short weekend stays. in this way, the house can be understood as a single level loft with an extension for their children and guests below.

the strong contrast between the openness of the sea-view façade and the solidity of the side and back elevations results in a strong framing effect. to further enhance this gesture, the roof is inclined and opens up towards the view and the whole front façade is glazed from floor to ceiling with large sliding windows. by using a prefabricated hollow core slab for the roof structure, usually only found in industrial buildings, NOMO created a large 11m span to cover a column free terrace with completely undisturbed views. 

from the kitchen and living room there are large sliding windows that can open up to a 43 sqm large covered terrace, while the master bedroom has a completely private balcony. the client wanted a house that could give privacy for their children, thus the children’s bedrooms all have individual private bathrooms and terraces, plus an extra living room only for them. in-situ concrete was chosen for the façade as a zero maintenance material that would age beautifully in menorca’s aggressive climate of high humidity and extreme salt levels. the house’s off-white form blends in with the ochre and terracotta colored soil that surrounds the house. finally, a band of vertical striped relief goes around the façade, organizing all windows and doors.

the large terrace

night view

project info:

project name: ‘frame house’

project location: menorca, spain

project program: single-family house

architect: NOMO STUDIO

design team: alicia casals, karl johan nyqvist, jordi ribas, mira botseva, jennifer méndez

collaborators: e2A arquitectura, francesc sbert

status: completed 2018

photography: adrià goula

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: lynne myers | designboom