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This moderate-size private house is an exercise in experimentation. The plan, massing and materials are a reexamination of Mies van der Rohe’s 1929 Barcelona Pavilion. Comprising two transparent pavilions with large lights, it stands on a concrete plinth in extensive grounds that are an integral part of the building itself and the lifestyle of its inhabitants. The main block to the east contains the living room, kitchen and master bedroom, aligned in sequence. The smaller block to the west houses the guest quarters.
The intervening space between the two blocks is therefore the pivotal area of the whole construction. Large overhangs of the pitched roof supported by oblique pillars turn this intermediate space into an extension of the indoor functions, and at the same time allow the natural vegetation to become an integral part of the two pavilions - reflected in the swimming pool abutting onto the north side of the building, or peeping into enclosed areas.
Glazed openings are set into full-height panels or upper bands of translucent polycarbonate. The different transparency and luminosity of the surrounding polycarbonate walls offset the full transparency of the glass doors. As well as light, colour is the other major feature to inform the interiors. In the suffused light created by the translucent partitions, the broad colour palette for walls and furniture takes on nuanced, sensory tones and densities, enhancing the perception of space and making every environment eminently hospitable. The programme puts the accent on experimentation in architecture and furnishings using modern day materials, and creates an uninterrupted flow of interior environments as well as a continuum between indoor and outdoor environments - especially during the summer when the house becomes a dynamic open space.
Outer walls are set at irregular angles, creating a disjointed perimeter that enlivens the intermediary space between the two blocks. Walls are set at right...
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