Houzz Tours
My Houzz: A Spanish Home With a Pool Where You Least Expect It
Clinging to the side of a hill, this three-level home was built to optimise sightlines over Spain's Montserrat mountains
This house in Barcelona, Spain, is architect Jorge Campreciós’ dream come true. Taking a cue from architectural inspirations including Pierre Koenig and Richard Neutra, he built a statement home that adapts to its landscape and offers magical views of the Spanish countryside – not to mention a sneaky pool that pops up where you least expect it.
On hot days, they take a break to swim in the unique pool, pictured here.
Inspired by Koenig, Neutra and big names of modern architecture, Campreciós sought to adapt his home’s design to the landscape. The result is a structure that, from certain vantage points, recalls the bow of a ship. Moreover, “the windows and doors toward the pool, which gets unobstructed light from the south, are essential to the natural lighting of the day area,” says Campreciós.
Find an architect near you on Houzz for a masterful and memorable home design
Inspired by Koenig, Neutra and big names of modern architecture, Campreciós sought to adapt his home’s design to the landscape. The result is a structure that, from certain vantage points, recalls the bow of a ship. Moreover, “the windows and doors toward the pool, which gets unobstructed light from the south, are essential to the natural lighting of the day area,” says Campreciós.
Find an architect near you on Houzz for a masterful and memorable home design
The house is situated on a steep slope, and has three floors. The top floor hosts an office that overlooks the pool, and has a bathroom with a shower. The middle level includes a large living and dining space, the kitchen with a breakfast corner and a large pantry, and a guest toilet. Finally, on the lower floor are the children’s bedrooms, the master bedroom with its ensuite bathroom and dressing room, and a laundry area.
There are two entrances to the house, both on the southern side. While the family use the entrance on the middle floor, visitors approach the house from the street on a timber-decking path that leads to the guest entrance on the top floor.
The office on the top floor looks out onto the pool. This space is exclusively for the parents’ use, as the children have study corners in their bedrooms. On this floor there is also a bathroom with a shower.
This is the northern side of the house, which offers incredible views. It is a quiet environment with a lot of fresh air. “At nights we hear Dom barking, usually because a wild boar is approaching,” says the couple’s daughter, Sofía.
Northern section of the home
The interior stands out for its clean lines and open, functional spaces. Concrete, steel and timber were the primary materials used throughout.
“[The design] came from the intersection of lines projected from the vanishing points obtained from the intersection of the boundaries of the property,” says the architect. In this way, the home was optimised for the views dictated by the boundaries of the site.
Iron fireplace: Roncal
Iron fireplace: Roncal
The areas on the northern side of the home offer views of the mountain. The owners like to barbecue or read here.
The deck is Cumaru wood – also known as Brazilian teak – which is very hard and durable, and therefore easy to care for and ideal for outdoor spaces.
The deck is Cumaru wood – also known as Brazilian teak – which is very hard and durable, and therefore easy to care for and ideal for outdoor spaces.
The house offers beautiful views of the Montserrat mountain range, pictured here in the background of this image.
Here, the family – with the exception of the couple’s oldest son, who is studying in Boston, USA – pose on the cantilevered staircase, which is made of steel welded to a plate anchored to the concrete wall.
“This is designed to be integrated naturally into the interior space,” says Campreciós.
The floor of the house is oak, while the kitchen features faux-slate ceramic flooring. Black is the dominant colour because they wanted a dark hue to make this open kitchen recede from view. The cabinets are from Cocinas Santos in spain and the benchtops are made of Zimbabwe black granite.
The hero of this space is a big kitchen island where guests often gather.
The hero of this space is a big kitchen island where guests often gather.
In lieu of wall panelling, the lower portion of the walls in the breakfast corner (also pictured in the previous image) is made up of wine corks collected by the couple. Behind the dining room area is a big pantry, ideal for the large family.
This is the master bedroom on the lower floor. The whole level has underfloor heating, while cross-ventilation provides passive cooling. “This level is the most comfortable on both the hottest and coldest days,” says the owner, “it has something like a cave effect.”
The bedroom includes a spacious dressing room at the entrance. Another design feature that stands out is the ensuite with a rain shower and spa bath. Garí tells us that she tries to reserve time “at least once a week for this little pleasure”.
Sofía and Nando with Dom on the second-storey deck
The balustrade on the second-storey deck, made of stainless-steel cables, once again leans inwards to express the nautical theme that sea-enthusiast Campreciós loves so much. But it was also designed that way for safety. “When we moved in, the children were eleven, four and three years old, so we wanted something they wouldn’t be able to climb,” he says.
Your turn
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Keen to see another creative Spanish home? Don’t miss this My Houzz: A Creative Family Brings Flair to a Spanish Apartment
The balustrade on the second-storey deck, made of stainless-steel cables, once again leans inwards to express the nautical theme that sea-enthusiast Campreciós loves so much. But it was also designed that way for safety. “When we moved in, the children were eleven, four and three years old, so we wanted something they wouldn’t be able to climb,” he says.
Your turn
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Keen to see another creative Spanish home? Don’t miss this My Houzz: A Creative Family Brings Flair to a Spanish Apartment
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Jorge Campreciós; Ariana Garí; their three kids, Gonzalo, 21 (who is studying in Boston), Sofía, 14, and Nando, 13; and Dom, their four-year-old jack russell terrier
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Size: 350 square metres
Architect: Jorge Campreciós, JC Architect
Campreciós and Garí met in Ibiza, Spain, and lived in Boston, USA, for five years where Campreciós worked for several architectural studios and earned a master’s degree in engineering, while Garí worked as a journalist. Now, both work from home in the real estate industry.