The Asu Houses / Ramos Bilbao Arquitectos

The Asu Houses / Ramos Bilbao Arquitectos

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Text description provided by the architects. Located in a privileged place within a privileged enclave, the Asu houses are designed to be interpreted as a clear scheme of single-family homes which dance to the same rhythm, a composition of moving volumes caused by adaptation to the slight and subtle but noticeable unevenness, who maintain their independence from each other as part of the same family. This slight movement confers kindness to the volume, dynamism, and visual richness, avoiding becoming a rough and cold volume.

On the one hand, each of the houses is adapted to the needs of each tenant; however, at the same time, all the houses maintain a common pattern: soft and pleasant finishes that evoke the natural elements that characterize this coastal area (sand, beach, sea). The light that feeds them is used to the maximum, materializing through gaps strategically practiced to maintain that intimate relationship with the Cantabrian Sea so valued in this place.

The volumetric game seems essential for the palpable achievement of these concepts. Its slight vertical and horizontal movement is sufficient to, in addition to facilitating the adaptability to the slope of the terrain, enable the entry of light while contributing, at the same time, to removing weight and coarseness from the whole making the units independent and being able to understand them as a whole. of single-family homes. The base rises from the ground as a pedestal, protecting the living spaces from contact with the ground. The choice of limestone, natural, cut, and blocks of this same solid limestone for the access details to the houses guarantee this protection.

The multiple advantages of projected cork, a flexible, fire-retardant, waterproof and insulating material, are used to cover the entire façade and dye it a pristine white, thus purifying the volumetric play. This, combined with the generation of emission-free energy through geothermal heat pumps, make the complex a light, friendly piece in harmony with the nature of the Cantabrian coast, a respectful resting place in an ideal enclave.