House 1603, essentially a townhome, features many traditional elements such as stone-bearing walls, a key characteristic of the Baix Empordà region. Located right in the middle of the small town of Begur, it stands out due to its mountainous scenery and rocky beaches.
The reconstruction process was planned because there was a need to link various points of the house, improve the connection between the kitchen and subsequent exterior regions to give it a central location within the house, and lastly to enlarge the house via a new living room plus an additional room featuring nice views of the landscape.
To eliminate lack of connectivity between different levels of the house, a concrete body was constructed within the interior, functioning as a cut-out volume staircase that compliments the weighty charm of the original building. The area facing the garden was set via an old-fashioned reinterpretation of the curtain wall that serves as a spacious void between old and new spaces.
Primary living spaces are located on the ground floor. All these spaces adhere to the logic of accretion, which enunciates them one after the other. With a lack of corridors, this concatenation of spaces facilitates visuals to overlap and allows guests to discover different areas while moving forward. The first floor features a sleeping area and a versatile space as a connector and a living room. There are also three in-suite bedrooms; two are located in the refurbished area of the house, whereas the third one is within the new extension.
The designers were able to maintain the original defining character of House 1603 by valuing original materials and adding some new and latest elements to increase the overall essence of the house.
Photos by: Filippo Poli
