Fran Silvestre Arquitectos, a
Spanish architecture studio, created a
minimalist white house in Spain, which
plays on its natural surroundings by
winding through the outdoor landscape.
This Spanish masterpiece, called
“Sabater House,” ascends upwards
through a series of intersecting and
elongated forms. The volumes adapt
to the existing trees and frame various
outdoor community spaces.
According to Fran, the house design
was inspired by local pathways that
are carved into the terrain, leading
to a hermitage. “We were struck by
how these winding paths adapt to the
terrain, generating a very interesting
architecture,” says Fran in a statement
to Dezeen. “This was the starting point
to develop a home on a plot with similar
characteristics in terms of width and
slope of the land.”
Sabater was further designed in order
to accommodate a large family, while
simultaneously ensuring independence
and privacy throughout the house for
all family members. To accomplish
this, each floor level features a distinct
function.
The top floor or the “nighttime area,”
incorporates five bedrooms, complete
with five bathrooms, which all look out
over the sea and forest. The middle
floors host the kitchen, dining room
and living room with floor-to-ceiling
windows that look out to the outdoor
swimming pool and garden. The
lower level includes a pool basin, wine
cellar, storage facilities and additional
bedrooms.
“The project is drawn with a very
clear geometry of straight elements that
are joined by a soft radius of curvature,”
says Fran. “Each piece has a relationship with the environment.”
Each floor is stacked at an angle
to create a zigzagging pattern, which
further creates a series of outdoor
courtyards, terraces and bridges.
“Sabater House exhibits an
intriguing dichotomy: a white house,
essentially minimalist, with a layout
and implementation that integrates it
much more into its surroundings than
one might expect,” says Philipp Jodidio.
“The combination of influences from
the modernity of Álvaro Siza and the
sculptural forms of Andreu Alfaro helps
explain how Sabater House manages
to be simultaneously geometric and
organic.”
Fran Silvestre founded Fran Silvestre
Arquitectos in 2005. The architecture
studio is known for its minimalist,
organic style, which is applied all
throughout the Sabater House.
This article first appeared in the June 2024 issue of AQUA Magazine — the top resource for retailers, builders and service pros in the pool and spa industry. Subscriptions to the print magazine are free to all industry professionals. Click here to subscribe.
