Article source: Mariano Molina Arquitecto

The site was a plot with great potential due to its location in the seafront and its prominence, but burdened with challenges of topographical, geometric and urban nature. Topographically, the sloped terrain was, as usual, an issue regarding accessibility and bulkiness of the construction. Geometrically the plot is very elongated and narrow, and added to that there was an urban planning regulation that linked the selected recess with the maximum height allowed for the house, which forced even more the linear character of the building. The proportion and location of the dwelling within the plot followed from these premises, giving the minimum possible width to front directly facing the coast, but at the same time taking advantage of the fact that the side façade towards Naranjo Street, even without having such a straight orientation towards the sea, does allow a clear view of it. A game of double directions emerges from this strategy, being particularly evident on the first floor: the circulation area and the master bedroom follow the orientation determined by the shape of the plot, and look directly towards the beach. The master bedroom is shaped as an enormous cantilever that constitutes the most dramatic feature of the composition. The rest of the spaces on this floor seek a biased orientation with respect to the previous one, which turns out to be the strict South, ideal from a climatic point of view. And in this way they manifest themselves as the gills (cantilevered as well) of a sort of shark rushing to return to the sea.

Image Courtesy © Jesús Granada

• Architects: Mariano Molina Arquitecto
• Project: Single-family house
• Location: Aguadulce, Spain
• Co-Author: Juan Pedro Alías
• Construction chief architects: Juan Pedro Alías Hernández and Mariano Molina Iniesta
• Built area: 978,24 m2
• Construction: 2018-2019
• Photography: Jesús Granada
• Software used: Cype (Cypecad and Cype MEP)

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