Hillside Architecture: Contemporary Housing in the Darro Valley
The project is located in Huétor de Santillán (Granada), on a mountain slope near the Darro River, within the natural environment of the Sierra de Huétor Natural Park. The terrain has a rugged topography with a steep slope towards the river valley, and outstanding views towards the Sierra Nevada.
Architectural objective:
Build a single-family home with a contemporary design, adapted to the hillside, taking advantage of the slope to integrate patios and interior levels in direct relationship with the landscape and topography.
Main actions:
– Demolition of a pre-existing, outdated home that occupied the site, to free up the plot and reconfigure the accesses.
– Design of the new construction in two main volumes, with a strategic north-south orientation, protecting privacy towards the urban environment and opening to the south towards the valley and the views, in dialogue with Sierra Nevada.
Relationship with the Darro River:
The Darro River rises in the mountains that surround Huétor de Santillán, being one of the river courses that cross the municipality before descending towards the city of Granada. In the project:
– A strip of regenerated natural landscape is contemplated from the house to the river slope.
– The design of terraces and patios is designed to provide views and direct visual connection to the Darro valley, making the river an integral part of the built environment.
Space solutions:
– The house is organized on staggered platforms, taking advantage of the slope to reduce earth movements.
– Sober materials: concrete, local stone and metal sheets, combining thermal protection and durability.
Conservation of the environment:
– Native plant elements are recovered to cover the slope and control erosion.
– The nearby course of the Darro River is respected, avoiding direct effects on the channel and opting for an ecotone transition between the house and the riverbank.
