PLAYstudio’s ‘more than white house’ reinterprets coastal villas in spain

‘More than white house’ reclaims coastal identity

The architectural team at PLAYstudio designed a residence in Spain‘s coastal city, Alicante, reclaiming local architectural identity. The ‘More Than White House 1’ is the first in a series of middle-class villas that attempt to overcome the paradox of pristine white as a sterile symbol of both popular architecture and luxurious houses on the coast. Interested in reproducing Spain’s modern era design styles, the studio created this white two-story house in 1960’s coastal typologies. From the exposed structural grid to full brick or lattice surfaces, this building stands against the importation of global architectural clichés, while, also, contemporizing the front of the Mediterranean White Coast. Following the aesthetic reference that characterizes the area, the residence adopts white color as the main feature presenting it in diverse textures. Dissociating from the identical cubic single-family houses, it claims to be ‘More Than White House’.

structural grid in white backdrops the long swimming pool | all images by Luis Díaz Díaz

elaborate lattice patterns frame a ‘white on white’ landscape

One of the design’s main limitations was the inquiry of a 25 m long swimming lane on the plot. Following the shape of the swimming pool, the house forms around and above the water creating an L-shaped plan. The volume shapes into two floors, using the unevenness of the terrain to create interesting masses and perplexing geometries. The transparency of the lattice along the structure establishes communication between the interior and exterior zones. The visible grid is made out of bricks assembling various intricate patterns in the studio‘s playful signature. The ‘More Than White House’ builds a strong identity in Alicante’s coastal scenery, using matt brick surfaces, satin-finished carpentry, and vitrified latticework. This project frames a ‘white on white’ landscape of Mediterranean architecture.

front view of the L-shaped family house

the entrance’s interesting geometry