Tucked away on the mountainous outskirts of Alella, Spain, a coastal town in El Maresme, stands the raw beauty of Casa Dosmurs. This residence, designed by the esteemed MESURA architects, is honest and humble in style.
It is expertly crafted to serve as a tranquil retreat for a family. Constructed with an innovative approach, the house masterfully hides from its immediate surroundings while opening up to breathtaking sea views and a serene green patio.
At first glance, Casa Dosmurs appears to blend in seamlessly with the hillside's terrain. It disappears entirely from the street view, its existence cloaked by two walls that follow the abrupt incline of the slope. The house's position and design help mitigate the area's sense of discord and disharmony, brought on by a haphazard blend of architectural styles in the neighborhood.
The allure of the residence lies in the delicate balance between openness and privacy. The house possesses a unique ability to regulate its inhabitants' interactions with the outside world, with strategically placed openings to the outdoors. On one side, minimal openings filter the views of neighboring houses, while the opposite facades open entirely to the great outdoors.
A standout feature of the house is its large window on the south-facing facade. It provides a cinematic display of the surrounding landscape from the double-height living area and upper floor, while also serving as a climate element that shelters the interior from direct sunshine in the summer. During winter, the concrete facades soak up sunlight, releasing the stored heat when temperatures drop, ensuring comfort throughout the seasons.
The lateral walls and roof consist of custom-made prefab concrete slabs and panels assembled on-site, creating a ten-meter-wide uninterrupted floorplan while minimizing waste. Further enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of the construction is the use of brick from a local quarry, providing thermal insulation and adding to the house's warm and inviting ambiance.
Casa Dosmurs by MESURA architects explores the charm of combining generous living spaces with austere materiality and an efficient constructive resolution to create a house where different everyday life activities can happen with intimacy while maintaining an open relationship with the landscape.
