A house the color of the earth

There are houses that, however contemporary they may appear, seem to have always been there. The house that the Twobo studio—led by architects Pablo Twose, María Pancorbo, and Alberto Twose—has built in Matadepera belongs to this category: a highly contemporary architecture that doesn't impose itself, that buries itself in the terrain, and that blends seamlessly into the landscape. It is a house made, literally, of the color of the earth itself.

This intense and nuanced terrain is the starting point of the project: a plot marked by a steep topography, with a significant slope, crossed by a stream and shaped by the flow of water, where clearings open to the afternoon sun alternate with a series of small valleys, small valleys of holm oaks and oaks. In the background, the unmistakable silhouette of La Mola acts as a constant backdrop. The reddish earth permeates everything. When you scratch the floor, this pinkish-red color appears, which will ultimately define the soul of the house.

Contemplating this house beneath La Mola is to realize that, far from competing with the landscape or seeking prominence, the architecture chooses to blend in and go almost unnoticed. Seen from above, the house is barely perceptible. A semi-basement remains due to the natural slope of the land, covered with gravel the same color as the ground. Only the concrete vaults protrude, hinting at what lies beneath, evoking the memory of ruins that have always been in that place.

In two volumes

The building is divided into two volumes that adapt to the contours of the land and encompass the small existing forest between them. One volume houses the communal, family, and social life; the other, the more intimate spaces. Between them, a connecting zone accentuates the feeling that these are two houses in dialogue with each other. But this is by no means a fragmentation; it is a space of continuity that, moreover, with almost absolute transparency, allows for maximum respect for the natural area and reinforces the idea of an architecture that not only blends into the landscape but also allows itself to be permeated by it.

The walls of this home emerge directly from the terrain, following the contours of the land. During construction, the exposed rock was preserved and integrated into the house, taking advantage of the site's natural features: a study faces directly towards one of these formations, as if the architecture had accepted, without resistance, what the ground offered. Above these walls rise concrete vaults, framed with wood, which protect the interior and evoke the idea of a grotto, a primeval cave, a place for healing.

The experience of living in this house, in addition to a complete harmony with the integrated nature, is also a journey. In fact, the terrain demanded turns, shifts, changes of direction, and the architects at Twobo have transformed them into a fluid and evocative sequence. However, rather than being a house of total transparency and omnipresent views, it's a house where the views are sought out, framed, and gradually revealed. The living room and kitchen open towards specific points in the landscape, while the greenery outside bursts forth through strategically placed windows, reinforced by the contrast with the warm tones of the interior.

The materials themselves complete this intimate relationship with the site. Lime mortar on the facades, ceramic tiles, and pigmented concrete that tints walls and floors a deeply inviting, reddish-pink hue. Natural light, as it enters, transforms everything into an earthy and enveloping atmosphere. The vaulted ceilings, moreover, serve to define open spaces within a fluid floor plan, creating nooks that aren't entirely enclosed, sheltered areas that invite you to linger.

With the memory of Alvar Aalto's experimental house in Muuratsalo (Finland), which dissolves into the landscape, here too there is a desire to get lost, to not know exactly where nature ends and architecture begins. In Matadepera, Twobo has built a house that doesn't draw attention, but is memorable: a home that not only sits on the land, but seems to have been born from it.