NordEst Arquitectura designs twin set of family houses in spain
Spanish studio NordEst Arquitectura has completed Passive Houses 1922 in the village of Rupià, Girona. Designed for a single family and built using adobe, wood, and earth, the twin set of residential units incorporates bioclimatic, functional, and integrative qualities to strengthen the relationship between interior and exterior and explore ways to inhabit interstitial spaces. The architects have translated their conceptual approach into a 530 square-meter dwelling arranged around a courtyard which, in its central position, welcomes and blurs the boundary between different environments.
all images © Filippo Poli | @filippo.poli
passive houses 1922 pairs natural materials & building efficiency
The team at NordEst Arquitectura took on Passive Houses 1922 as a constructive exercise, reinterpreting typological solutions to produce a building integrated with the environment, where natural materials are the protagonists. As a result, a system of prefabricated panels contributes to the efficiency of the assembly, the saving of water, the minimization of errors in construction, and the tightness necessary to reach the Passivhaus parameters. ‘Compacted earth, adobe, wood or lime and their installation create, on the outside, a building consistent with its surroundings and, on the inside, a healthy atmosphere, free of toxins and with hygrothermal properties,’ conclude lead architects Miquel Rusca and Jordi Riembau.
Passive Houses 1922 in Rupià, Spain
a residential complex arranged around a coutyard
both residential units are designed for one family
blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor
NordEst Arquitectura combines adobe, wood, and earth

pool area
highlighting bioclimatic and functional features
living room area of Passive Houses 1922

a filtering of daylight throughout the interiors
the project was completed in 2023
corridor view

reinterpreting typological solutions
light pouring through openings in the adobe walls

the project spans 530 square meters



















project info:
name: Passive Houses 1922 / Cases 1992
location: Rupià, Baix Empordà, Girona, Spain
architecture: NordEst Arquitectura | @nordest_arquitectura
lead architects: Miquel Rusca, Jordi Riembau
construction: Evowall technology
interiors: María Jiménez
photographer: Filippo Poli | @filippo.poli
surveyor: TEC 2
completion year: 2023
built area: 530 sqm