Spanish practice Estudio Albar has used cork cladding to help this home near Madrid blend in with the scrub-like landscape of a neighbouring national park.
Named Casa Eñe, the home is located half an hour's drive from the Spanish capital and was designed for clients who wanted a home that would have a minimal impact both visually and environmentally.
In order to "unify the plot and the park", Estudio Albar removed a row of hedges classed as a prohibited species that previously separated the two, opening the site up to dramatic views across the landscape.
Casa Eñe is a Spanish home overlooking a national park
"At the north boundary of the Casa Eñe plot, beyond the great hedge barrier that had been unmaintained for decades, the natural park was located," said Estudio Albar founder Daniel Lozano. "Hectares of holm oaks and rockroses, a place where you can cross paths with deer, wild boars, and even wolves just half an hour from Madrid," he told Dezeen. "We couldn't block those views, we had to integrate them into the project."
To allow every space to enjoy these views to the north as well as sunlight from the south, Casa Eñe is organised in a long, narrow plan measuring six by 40 metres and topped by a large rooftop terrace.
It is clad in cork
Two corridors extend down either side of the home, with living spaces and bathrooms organised in the centre. Sliding doors and curtains allow these areas to be opened up or closed off when grea...