Guaita House, Valencia / by Luis de Garrido

Luis de Garrido shared with us another project, the Guaita House, in Valencia. The site has a steep slope and is located on the northern slope of a hill, with magnificent views. This situation greatly complicates the design bioclimatic housing, as it makes solar yields.

To remedy the situation has made a major excavation of land to the south of the site and the pool has been arranged here. The ground gained was shifted to the north, with the aim of raising the house. This will accomplish several things at once: 1) the home can be solar gains in the south, 2) ensuring the privacy of the pool, and 3) improve the view of the housing to the north.

The building structure is a reinterpretation of the Spanish patio. The rooms are arranged around a central covered courtyard. Thus, the house stays cool in summer (when opening the upper windows of the patio, hot air is removed by chimney effect), and stays warm in winter (when they close the windows above the patio, it becomes a gases).