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Modern Approaches to Sustainability Evolved from Mediterranean Vernacular Architecture: Terrazza Ecohousing

Izaskun Chinchilla Architects

photographed by
David Frutos
materials provided by
Izaskun Chinchilla Architects, Somium Properties
edited by
Youn Yaelim
background

SPACE January 2025 (No. 686) 

 

 

Interview Izaskun Chinchilla principal, Izaskun Chinchilla Architects ¡¿ Youn Yaelim

 

Youn Yaelim (Youn): I would like to know more about the regional character of Orihuela, where this project is located. While clearly having roots in vernacular architecture, Terrazza Ecohousing also strives to be more than just imitative.

Izaskun Chinchilla (Chinchilla): Orihuela, located in the southeast of Spain, is of a Mediterranean climate, characterised by hot, dry summers and mild wet winters. The region¡¯s geography combines coastal areas with the mountainous Sierra de Escalona, offering diverse natural landscapes. Its cultural identity is rooted in its rich history, blending Spanish and Moorish influences. The Mediterranean lifestyle is embodied through a focus on physical and emotional wellbeing, outdoor activities, local gastronomy, and community. Vernacular architecture in Orihuela typically features whitewashed façades, calcareous lime plastering, use of fabric shades, timber structures to support roofs, strong integration with nature and typically a very inclined pitch roof that is usually solved with biodegradable materials (reeds). Terrazza Ecohousing incorporates such elements while reinterpreting them for modern sustainability, employing lime-plastered façades, natural ventilation, timber structures, passive cooling techniques and a flat roof covered with natural stones to avoid harming local birds.

 

 

Youn: The house was designed with a focus on the well-being of residents from varying age groups and health conditions. Also, its systems, structure, materials, and plants were evaluated by the Green Building Council España (GBCe) as passing four criteria. 

Chinchilla: Our client is a private promoter, trying to redesign what premium properties can be and what their social contributions can achieve. We are keen to help clients in redefining premium properties, introducing respect for the environment as a new sign of their quality. Terrazza Ecohousing prioritises health and well-being by employing natural materials like wood and lime, which promote healthier indoor environments. Accessibility is key, with all primary living areas on a single level catering to residents of varying ages and physical conditions. The client sought a residence that fostered outdoor living and connection with nature, which we achieved through expansive gardens, seamless indoor-outdoor transitions, and spaces for relaxation, exercise, and meditation. We could say that every room in the house places one half inside and one half outside. All the rooms allow you to have a nap inside or outside. The swimming pool is naturalised and surrounded by vegetation providing the benefits of ¡®forest showers¡¯. Achieving certification from the GBCe demonstrates a commitment to sustainability, ecology and energy efficiency. Passive measures like solar orientation, cross-ventilation, and shading devices were complemented by active solutions, including solar energy systems and geothermal heating.

 

 

Youn: The house interprets the exterior and interior as one integrated space. 

Chinchilla: The house blurs the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces. Each room connects directly to a specific outdoor area, creating ¡®dual-function¡¯ spaces. For instance, bedrooms open to private gardens for meditation, while the kitchen transitions into an outdoor cooking zone near the pool. The kitchen has been designed in such a way so that can be used both for indoor and outdoor cooking, padding in from the outdoor area with bare feet recalling the vital tradition of eating on the beach from little kiosks locally known as chiringuitos. There is also the breakfast table, oriented towards east so as to have sun protection so that you can always arrange the perfect setting according to the weather.

 

 

 

Youn: I¡¯ve heard that the combination of wood and steel in the interior and exterior structural system, which appear warm and upbeat, is a reference to Frank Lloyd Wright¡¯s houses.

Chinchilla: Terrazza Ecohousing features a hybrid structure composed of wood and steel, using glulam for primary beams and OSB for secondary elements. Wood¡¯s inherent stability issues are addressed by incorporating external canopies that act as buttresses, enhancing the overall stability of the structure. The integration of steel on the exterior enhances rigidity and minimises maintenance challenges associated with wood, particularly under horizontal stress. Steel is employed in areas exposed to the elements, ensuring durability and stability. This method enhances the durability of the steel structure, making it the preferred choice for long-term performance, but allows the interior spaces to enjoy the warmth and cosiness of timber. The insertion of the wood inside is one of the links to the Frank Lloyd Wright legacy. Timber OSB beams appear at different heights while windows also appear at different heights so that the depth of the space, especially in terms of vertical depth, is enhanced. The design drew inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright¡¯s Gordon House (1963), George Sturges House (1939), and DeRhodes House (1906), particularly in their use of natural materials, integration with the landscape, and innovative yet warm aesthetic.

 

 

Youn: How is the fabric and steel structure of the exterior canopy made to function?

Chinchilla: The house has a large area, about 95m2, of textile canopies for the protection of openings and outdoor areas. Inside, we use OSB beams with an interaxis of between 60 – 80cm, depending on the room. These beams extend to the outside in the form of a double steel profile, allowing the attachment of textile strip curtains that zigzag and prevent the penetration of excess radiation into the house, promoting spontaneous ventilation. The house differentiates between its dimensions and the external protection of each opening according to the solar orientations, their interior use and the opening regime that can be expected of them. There are openings that prioritise ventilation, views and passage or openness. The textiles contribute to correct the income of light we want. This house responds to seasonal and diurnal changes through adaptive design. In summer, passive cooling techniques such as cross-ventilation and shaded pergolas mitigate heat. In winter, a more controlled use is expected, solar heat gain and protected outdoor spaces offer comfort. During this season, the residents can reduce heating costs by using a small basement flat that meets the passive house standard.

 

 

 

 

Youn: Please tell us about the garden design inspired by the vegetation of nearby natural parks and gardens from various cultural traditions.

Chinchilla: The garden draws inspiration from nearby Sierra de Escalona, Levantine orchards, and Mexican landscapes. Features include native Mediterranean plants, water-efficient succulents, and terraced slopes to combat erosion. Elements like fruit trees, herbaceous plants, and traditional irrigation methods recall the region¡¯s agricultural heritage, while references to Islamic and Mexican gardens add cultural richness. The eastern front of the plot has been treated with fruit trees and orchard species in an attempt to meet their hydration needs by recirculating water collected from the roof and the plot and stored in a cistern. Orange, apricot, peach and pomegranate trees were some of the species used, and in the selection of species, philosophy of irrigation and position against the house are all taken from Arabic tradition, specially the Nazari architecture that the Arabs living in Spain developed in places such as the Alhambra up to the sixteenth century.

 

 

Youn: Izaskun Chinchilla Architects emphasise a circular economy and urban life diversity (covered in SPACE No. 674). How did you pursue such values in this project?

Chinchilla: The project embodies the principles of a circular economy by using recyclable materials and modular construction methods, enabling future adaptability. The emphasis on biodiversity is evident in the integration of natural habitats, such as dense vegetation to support local birds. There is a maximum surface treated with permeable pavement that prevent rain, from accelerating its speed in a harmful way, as we have sadly seen in Valencia where more than 200 people died last year as a result of living in completely asphalted cities. The design is conceived with the awareness that each plot, individually, contributes to prevent erosion, and so aims to regenerate the local landscape and combat the heat island, and, in this way, we contribute as much as we can to the improvement of the urban conditions around us.​ 

 

You can see more information on the SPACE No. January (2025).

Architect

Izaskun Chinchilla Architects (Izaskun Chinchilla

Design team

Alejandro Espallargas, Jesús Valer, Germ

Location

Orihuela (Alicante), Spain

Programme

single house

Site area

1,132§³

Building area

410§³

Gross floor area

482§³

Building scope

B1, 1F

Height

6.71m

Building to land ratio

42.6%

Floor area ratio

36.2%

Structure

hybrid system of laminated wood, OSB beams and st

Exterior finishing

lime plaster applied in a fan-textured finish, fab

Interior finishing

lime plaster, wood

Structural engineer

CYD Ingeniería Estructural

Electrical engineer

GTM Ingeniería

Construction

CMAR Innovación y Diseño S.L.

Design period

Jan. – July 2022

Construction period

July 2022 – July 2024

Cost

850,000 EUR

Client

Somium Properties

Landscape architect

Izaskun Chinchilla Architects

Interior furniture

Sancal


Izaskun Chinchilla
Izaskun Chinchilla is principal at Izaskun Chinchilla Architects, Foreign Honor Member Royal Institute of British Architects, professor in architectural practice at the Bartlett School of Architecture (University College of London). With 22 years of experience, she specialises in design projects of various types and the supervision of onsite construction on a range of architectural scales.

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