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Casa CLO

Casa CLO in Tarragona, a single-family house rising among the tree canopies on a sloping wooded plot.Casa CLO in Tarragona, a single-family house rising among the tree canopies on a sloping wooded plot.

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Casa CLO

Located in a small coastal town in Tarragona, Casa CLO sits on a sloping plot, adapting to the topography and existing wood to create comfortable living spaces among the tree canopies.

Dark corrugated metal volume of Casa CLO among pines, with warmly lit windows at dusk.
Bedroom with plywood walls and sloping ceiling, a ceiling fan and large windows opening to the tree canopy.

The site has rocky ground and a very steep slope, with access only from its lowest point. From the highest part of the site, the sea can be glimpsed in the distance, filtered through the pine forest. The clients, a family from Barcelona, acquired this plot to build their second home, with the intention of gradually spending more time in the tranquillity of the forest and close to the sea. They were looking for a house that could engage with its surroundings and, being familiar with the studio’s philosophy, gave us the freedom to define both the design strategy and the material approach.

Double-height timber-lined space with exposed beams, spherical pendant lamps, a clerestory window and the kitchen below.
Upper level with exposed timber structure, a steel staircase and galvanised mesh railing above the double-height space.

The existing trees, the slope and planning regulations shaped the proposal. Any significant earthworks would have been extremely costly, and for this reason the programme was organised into three volumes arranged at different levels in the upper part of the plot, in order to take advantage of the sea views. The placement of these volumes responds to the position of the existing trees to avoid felling them, resulting in a slight rotation in plan that gives the overall composition a more organic configuration.

Site plan of Casa CLO with contour lines and the trees of the wooded plot.Section showing the house's floors stepping down the steep slope of the terrain.Section of Casa CLO with the volume adapting to the sloping topography and existing vegetation.Floor plan with the rotated volumes of the house adapting to the trees and forest topography.Floor plan of one level of Casa CLO with bedrooms and the staircase between volumes oriented toward the forest.Floor plan with the staggered layout of the volumes and the central staircase among the existing trees.
Living room clad in plywood with a timber-joist ceiling and sliding windows opening to the forest.
Steel staircase seen from above, between plywood walls and timber beams.

We worked with a timber structure in which the entire load is transferred to ten columns, allowing the intervention on the ground to be limited to just ten point foundations. This lightweight structure echoes the verticality of the forest and brings it into the interior of the house.

Corner of Casa CLO clad in dark corrugated metal, raised on columns among pines, with lit windows.
Timber deck terrace with table and chairs among the trees, beside the pool and overlooking the forest.
Kitchen of Casa CLO with plywood walls, a timber-beam ceiling, stainless-steel units and a steel staircase.

Planning regulations required an excavation along the street edge, which was used to accommodate the parking area. From there, a stair along the side of the plot leads up to the upper part of the site, first reaching the swimming pool and finally the entrance terrace. Upon entering the house, one arrives at a double-height dining space and kitchen. This large space visually connects the shared areas of the three volumes. A metal staircase provides access to the remaining levels, first leading to a second floor with a double-height study and a bedroom, and finally to two additional bedrooms on the top floor.

Project
Casa CLO
Year
2024
Location
Tarragona
Programme
Single-family house
Area
140 m2
Authors
Marc Alventosa, Xavier Morell
Photographer
José Hevia
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