As a continuation of its minimalism monochromatic white residence series, Fran Silvestre Arquitectos has unveiled House of Sand in Valencia, Spain. The house is located in front of the Mediterranean, in a place where an imposing dune protects the coast from storms. This starting point defines the configuration of the project. The house is materialized with two volumes arranged perpendicular to each other.
Fran Silvestre Arquitectos arranges its House of Sand with a clear dialogue between its interiors and outdoor space. The circulation is arranged in the most public part of the plot open to the pool area, while the rooms open onto a beautiful garden consolidated with small species that existed in the place. In order to have views of the sea, the program of uses of the house is inverted as opposed to the traditional scheme, the day area is arranged on the upper floor to be able to look over the top of the dune and uses the lower level roof as a belvedere. The night area is located on the entry-level, perpendicular to the sea.
The cantilever of the upper floor ends with a kind of cloister open to the sky that allows the main room to be illuminated from the south while maintaining privacy, and at the same time casts the necessary shade on the lower level. The staircase is drawn at the intersection of both volumes, marking the access point of the house. Ultimately, the two volumes adapt to celebrate the surrounding conditions, as the team comments: “the views, the shade… nothing more, nothing less.”
