Casa RMJ

The first thing we noticed when visiting the site where RMJ House would be built was the extraordinary view across the valley and the mountains. Immediately afterward, we became aware of the site's steep slope. The clients, a young couple with small children, wanted a home that would preserve these views while providing flat outdoor spaces connected to the shared living areas, where their children could play safely. The design responds to these aspirations while integrating sustainable construction and bioclimatic strategies.

The house is organized across two staggered and offset platforms that follow the natural slope of the terrain. By partially embedding much of the volume into the hillside, the house reduces its visual impact on the landscape while creating two south-facing habitable terraces. On the upper level, the garden extends over the roof of the lower floor, forming a flat outdoor space with a swimming pool directly connected to the kitchen, dining room, and living area.

Organizing the program according to the site's topography also defined both the construction system and the home's bioclimatic performance. Concrete simultaneously serves structural, retaining, and enclosure functions, reducing the need for additional layers of materials. Geotechnical studies showed that the ground exerted relatively low lateral pressure, making it possible to limit reinforced concrete to the walls supporting the porches and swimming pools. The remaining walls are built with lightweight concrete incorporating expanded clay aggregate (Arlita), improving thermal inertia while reducing the amount of steel and cement required. This optimization of materials significantly reduced the building's embodied carbon footprint.

The galleries are the heart of the project, transforming the domestic experience while giving the house outstanding thermal performance. These spaces function as intermediate rooms capable of adapting to different seasons. Their folding enclosures can open completely to dissolve the boundary between inside and outside or remain closed during winter, capturing solar heat through the greenhouse effect. The thermal mass of the concrete walls absorbs this heat and releases it gradually as outdoor temperatures fall, reducing the home's energy demand.

The upper gallery serves as a welcoming transitional space that also connects the shared living areas with the garden. On the lower level, the gallery becomes a more intimate extension of the bedrooms. The stair void links both levels while enhancing natural ventilation, allowing warm air from the lower spaces to rise and be released toward the garden.