The Juncal and Rodney House is situated in a choice hilltop location overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in the Costa Brava, Catalonia. Views from this vantage point are quite spectacular, and this contemporary home design really makes the most of them.
It does this with a few massive, floor to ceiling windows, situated across both of the home’s two levels. On the lower level, glass runs along the full length of the coast-facing side. This flourish is a quite clear nod to modern house architecture forbears such as Philip Johnson’s Glass House and the Farnsworth House of Mies van der Rohe.
On the higher level, the windows are slightly more divided. The effect of this is to lend a slightly more closed and private quality to this floor. Along with this, the divisions also force the viewer to look out onto different aspects of the scenery.
The windows are one of the more tell-tale examples of this property’s preoccupation with ninety-degree angles. It is also evident in the flat roof, and in the distinctly rectangular arrangement of the various levels structural elements.
This right-angle fixation makes for a stark contrast with the location itself, which is very hilly. It’s a contrast which really brings to light the effort made to level the property and make a mark on the landscape.
Besides this, there’s some noteworthy interior design elements. Particularly pleasing is the implicit minimalism of placing a solitary wood burning stove beside the back-garden wall, which has the very basic, yet impactful effect of breaking up the lighter tones of what might otherwise be a quite dull-looking array of stones.
From the pictures, you will see that this home is yet to be furnished. The temptation would be to keep it as much that way as possible, because this contemporary style home is already quite beautiful.
Photos by José Hevia
