Overview. Unio Design Studio was commissioned to design a house nestled on the hillsides of Mallorca’s picturesque village of Port Andratx. We made the choice to blend in with nature while incorporating the jungle experience inside the home and framing the seaside vistas. We designed the home to allow the main living room the greatest, most wide views from the top of the hill with floating terraces and a pool.
Concept. In order to create intriguing circulation spaces between the volumes, Unio Design Studio divided the building’s mass into a number of modules with overlapping roofs and linear reflection pools. We made the house blend in with the rich surroundings by dematerializing the volumes.
Design. To house the many programs for the project, Unio Design Studio employed the decomposition of volumes. The circulation of indoor and outdoor spaces within structures, which are split into bedrooms, living areas, and service sections, weaves harmony. As a result, every time they have to go from one location to another, the inhabitants may feel the intense natural surroundings.
Sustainability. The project was designed as a deconstruction of the volumes, which allowed for cross-ventilation because every area was exposed to at least two or three outside walls. Through a method called bioclimatic design, which examines the sun’s patterns, winds, and precipitation to generate comfort without the usage of energy, the expanded rooflines are strategically placed to shield from the sun and the rain. This project is a pioneer in sustainable tropical architecture with passive design at its heart thanks to a variety of sustainable features including rainwater harvesting, water recycling systems, energy generation, and creative design.
Construction. The building’s construction approach was directly influenced by knowledge of Mallorca’s seismic characteristics and the soil’s capacity to support the weight. Unio Design Studio made the decision to design a lightweight steel framework that could be prefabricated off-site and put up fast and effectively on the job site. Since teak wood is a common and sustainably derived material in the region, the studio and the customer sought to investigate the idea of extending the lifespan of this natural material by investigating the old process of charring it and finishing it with unique natural oils. The edifice produced by this fusion of antiquated and modern technologies is both contemporary and timeless.