HOUSE 205

VA C A R I S S E S , S PA I N
ARCHITECTS : H ARQUITECTES
LOCATION :VACARISSES, SPAIN
AREA :132.0 SQ. METER
PROJECT YEAR : 2008

PERCHED ON THE EDGE OF A STEEP

CANYON IN NORTHERN SPAIN, HOUSE
205 IS THE PROSAIC NAME ASSIGNED
TO THIS ELEGANT DWELLING. THE
VACARISSES, SPAIN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
ARCHITECTS AND THE PROPERTY DE-
VELOPERS HAVE AGREED ON MINIMIZ- THE CLIMATE IN VACARISSES IS WARM AND
ING LAND MOVEMENTS IN ORDER TO TEMPERATE. THE RAINFALL IN VACARISS-
BUILD THE ARTIFICIAL LANDSCAPED ES IS SIGNIFICANT, WITH PRECIPITATION
PLATFORMS. THE TARGET IS TO MAKE EVEN DURING THE DRIEST MONTH OF
GOOD USE OF THE EXISTING LAND JULY,WITH 35MM. IN SEPTEMBER, IT REACH-
SHELVES. FRONT VIEW FROM SITE. ES ITS PEAK, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 76 MM.
ALLOWING US TO PRESERVE THE NATURAL PHYSIOGNO- JULY IS THE WARMEST MONTH OF THE
MY OF THE WOOD. THE ONLY UNEVEN AREA WILL BE THE YEAR. THE TEMPERATURE IN JULY AVERAG-
PATH RAMP, WHICH WILL CROSS THE PIECE OF LAND DI- ES 22.4 °C.AT 7.0 °C ON AVERAGE, JANUARY
AGONALLY. THIS ARTIFICIAL RAMP WILL COMMUNICATE IS THE COLDEST MONTH OF THE YEAR
THE STREET WITH THE DIFFERENT PLOT LEVELS. THE AVERAGE RAINFALL - 658 MM
HOUSE CAN WORK AS AN OPEN-PLAN SPACE OR AS IN- AVERAGE TEMPERATURE - 14.2 DEGREES
AVERAGE RAINFALL
DIVIDUAL, CLOSED SPACES.
THE LARGE LAYER OF ROCK AND TWO CONCRETE
STRUTS WILL BE USED AS THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE
HOUSE. THE TWO STRUTS WILL LAY THE FOUNDATIONS
OF THE HOUSE ON THE ROCK. THESE TWO STRUTS WILL
ALSO CREATE A SPACE PERMANENTLY VENTILATED BE-
TWEEN THE HOUSE AND THE ROCKY GROUND.
SECTION SHOWING THE SLOPIG SITE.
APART FROM A SLENDER ACCESS ROAD,
THE CONCRETE SUPPORTS AND A
MULTI-LAYERED WOODEN DECK, PROJ-
ECT 205 MAKES A MINIMAL IMPACT ON
ITS SURROUNDINGS, AVOIDING THE
NEED TO DISPOSE OF GREAT MOUNDS
OF EARTH AND - PERHAPS MOST IMPOR-
TANTLY OF ALL - PRESERVING A VIEW OF
THE VALLEY AND SURROUNDING TREE-
TOPS.

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