This light-filled Spanish house is defined by openness and geometry
A Spanish house by Arquitecturia Camps Felip is designed around its courtyards and its six volumes’ bold geometry

The functions fulfilled by each of the six volumes in this Spanish house helped determine the whole's overall shape and arrangement. Designed by Girona-based architecture studio Arquitecturia Camps Felip, the house, located in the studio's home town, features a constellation of slanted roofs and bold geometries, alongside a distinctive sense of openness; the last is accentuated by the flowing relationship between inside and outside and the presence of a central courtyard in the domestic composition.
A Spanish house inspired by geometry
'These volumes are all connected through a kind of cloister from where the entrance is located and circulation gravitates around the courtyard,' the architects, led by founders Olga Felip and Josep Camps, explain. 'The house offers three ways to look at and relate to the outside: an intimate view into an inner courtyard through the ‘cloister’ space that connects all the rooms; a horizontal outlook with framed views to different pieces of garden, establishing a direct relation with the outside but at the same time preserving the sense of intimacy; and finally, an open and wide view of the sky provided by the relationship between the structure and the geometry of the roof and the load-bearing walls.'
While strong geometries helped carve the shapes and openings in Arquitecturia Camps Felip's newest Spanish house, inside, a sense of calm and minimalist architecture prevails. Here, clean and simple concrete and timber surfaces meet, allowing the eye to wander outside, as the surrounding forest is framed through the project's large openings – be it floor-to-ceiling fully sliding glazed walls, or high, clerestory-style windows.
Beyond adding drama to the composition, the sloped roofs also provide sustainable architecture credentials to the project. The sloped gabled roof, clad in green-glazed ceramic tiles, which reflect the surrounding nature's tones, is used to collect rainwater. This is then used to irrigate the garden, which in turn has been especially designed using species that are native to the region and so only require the water organically provided by the local climatic conditions.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
A new hilltop California home is rooted in the landscape and celebrates views of nature
WOJR's California home House of Horns is a meticulously planned modern villa that seeps into its surrounding landscape through a series of sculptural courtyards
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Is a tiny tattoo the best holiday souvenir? Kimpton Hotels think so
In partnership with Tiny Zaps, Kimpton Hotels is bringing city-inspired tattoo pop-ups to five U.S. locations
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
‘I love the elevation of everyday objects' – Scott's Shop is a curated luxury store, prioritising beauty in the mundane
Scott's Shop's unique selections of rugs and objects are carefully crafted from around the world
By Tianna Williams Published
-
A brutalist house in Spain embraces its wild and tangled plot
House X is a formidable, brutalist house structure on a semi-rural plot in central Spain, shaped by Bojaus Arquitectura to reflect the robust flora and geology of the local landscape
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Antoni Gaudí: a guide to the architect’s magical world
Catalan creative Antoni Gaudí has been a unique figure in global architectural history; we delve into the magical world of his mesmerising creations
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
The case of Casa Batlló: inside Antoni Gaudí’s ‘happiest’ work
Casa Batlló by Catalan master architect Antoni Gaudí has just got a refresh; we find out more
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Bodegas Faustino Winery celebrates process through its versatile vaulted visitor centre
Bodegas Faustino Winery completes extension by Foster + Partners in Spain, marking a new chapter to the long-standing history between the architecture practice and their client
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Playball Studio's architecture balances the organic and the technical
Playball Studio, a young Indo-Spanish design practice, features in the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024
By Pallavi Mehra Published
-
In Palma, beloved watch boutique Relojeria Alemana gets a dramatic revamp
Edificio RA for Relojeria Alemana has been redesigned by OHLAB, refreshing a historical landmark in Palma, Mallorca with a 21st-century twist
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Santiago Bernabéu stadium redesign: a sneak peek into the works
We take a tour of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid, as the beloved sports facility is being given a refresh
By Agnish Ray Published
-
MOCA is a self-sufficient mobile home offering freedom to work (and roam)
MOCA (Mobile Catalyst) is a sustainable mobile home designed by the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, and taking remote working to a new level
By Tianna Williams Published