A single-family home on a seafront plot that makes the most of the sea breezes. It is built with local, salt-resistant ecological materials and uses renewable energy, self-supply systems and water recycling.
Solar-oriented layout of the plan and spaces, cross ventilation, eaves and a vine pergola for seasonal solar control, movable shading on window openings, a green roof with cooling irrigation in summer, a north-facing courtyard on the upper floor, and an experimental cooling lattice screen developed for this project with a local artisan tile works. The high-inertia load-bearing envelope with cork external insulation (ETICS) prevents thermal bridging and creates a cave effect in summer, while interior compressed earth block (CEB) walls store energy and regulate humidity.
Load-bearing walls of raw earth blocks (CEB) and machined limestone blocks, FSC-certified timber structures, lime mortars, natural cork oak insulation, bamboo flooring, outdoor floors of handmade clay tiles fired with avocado wood at a nearby tile works, breathable interior wall finishes with lime-based ecological paints, and breathable silicate exterior paint.
Heating from a high-efficiency biomass stove; an air-source heat pump for heating, cooling and domestic hot water, distributed through a radiant floor; photovoltaic solar panels; rainwater harvesting in an underground cistern (aljibe); greywater reuse for irrigation; a vegetable garden and a compost bin.
