tarifa house by james & mau arquitectura frames strait of gibraltar

tarifa house by james & mau arquitectura frames strait of gibraltar
photo by erika mayer
all images courtesy of james & mau arquitectura

located on a hillside in southern spain, james & mau arquitectura have completed ‘tarifa house’, which overlooks the strait of gibraltar and the african coastline. the scheme is influenced by the vernacular architecture of andalusian ‘pueblos blancos’, while also responding to climatic conditions. high humidity and hot temperatures necessitate an open plan producing plenty of cross ventilation.

the dwelling is composed as a series of volumes spread apart creating a permeable arrangement of indoor and outdoor spaces. a pond passes through this organization, serving to cool the outdoor areas. in addition, expanded metal mesh wraps the structure, reducing thermal gain in the interior environment. this porous steel screen is also used for pergolas over the patio areas to provide shade.

a wide patio is typical of the vernacular ‘pueblos blancos’
photo by erika mayer

expanded metal mesh is used to clad the structure and also shade the patio spaces
photo by erika mayer

construction was carried out by the modular and eco-efficient company, infiniski. building volumes were prefabricated off site to reduce energy usage.

the dwelling is composed as a permeable arrangement of indoor and outdoor spaces
photo courtesy of james & mau arquitectura

a pond passes through the arrangement of building volumes
photo by erika mayer

interior spaces open up to allow for plentiful cross ventilation
photo by erika mayer

photo courtesy of james & mau arquitectura

photo by erika mayer

the patio and pergola span beyond the length of the residence
photo courtesy of james & mau arquitectura

prefabricated building blocks were craned into place
photo courtesy of james & mau arquitectura

floor plan
image courtesy of james & mau arquitectura

sections
image courtesy of james & mau arquitectura

project info:

location: el portón de tarifa, province cadiz, spain
area: 300 sqm
architects: james & mau (www.jamesandmau.com)
contractor and manager: infiniski (www.infiniski.com)
year: 2013
project duration: 4 months
photography: erika mayer

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