Spanish architecture studio Arquitectura-G has completed Patio House, a striking minimalist white residence on Spain's Costa Brava that centers around a spacious courtyard accessible through distinctive folding timber shutters. The single-story home demonstrates innovative design solutions for challenging terrain while maintaining elegant simplicity.
The house is partially built into a sloping site that overlooks the picturesque small bay of Aiguablava. Arquitectura-G designed the residence with what they describe as "simple and clear" geometry, characterized by a slim concrete roof supported by slender columns. This architectural approach allows the building to blend seamlessly with its natural surroundings while creating dramatic spatial experiences.
The design cleverly adapts to the uneven terrain through strategic placement and varying levels. While the external perimeter manages the challenging topography using subterranean levels, retaining walls, and steps, the heart of the home features a perfectly level 15-by-15-meter central courtyard surrounded by openable timber shutters. "The main idea was to create the largest possible courtyard that the plot would allow and to orient the entire program of the house around it," the studio explained.
The building's relationship with the landscape creates fascinating contrasts in scale and perspective. At the upper end of the site, the house nearly disappears into the hillside, with the concrete roof sitting just 1.1 meters above ground level. Meanwhile, at the lower end, the structure sits flush with the terrain. "This contrast creates non-parallel interior spaces that enrich the spatial experience and further emphasize the geometry of the courtyard," Arquitectura-G noted.
The home's layout follows a thoughtful ring-shaped plan composed of two L-shaped wings that serve distinct functions. One wing contains all the bedrooms, while the other houses the main living spaces including the kitchen, dining area, and lounge. The more private family and guest bedrooms connect through a circulation corridor that expands and transforms into the communal kitchen, dining, and living spaces, which the architects describe as areas "where interior and exterior merge without hierarchy."
Full-height wooden shutters enable the living areas to open completely not only to the central courtyard but also to an additional sunken yard. This design creates the sensation of a covered walkway sheltered beneath the concrete roof, blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living. A small circular staircase positioned in one corner provides access between the main level, a small basement below, and the roof above, which functions as an additional outdoor terrace.
The circulation design emphasizes continuous flow and connection to the outdoors. "A continuous circulation band becomes a variable-width porch that connects all spaces and gradually transforms into living areas such as the kitchen or lounge," the studio explained. "The interior is always in relation to the courtyard." This approach ensures that every space in the home maintains a visual and physical connection to the central outdoor area.
The interior design embraces minimalism through exposed materials and carefully chosen focal points. Patio House's concrete roof, columns, and floor remain exposed throughout the interior, creating clean, minimal spaces punctuated by specific design elements such as travertine-topped counters in the kitchen and a striking freestanding black-metal fireplace in the living area.
The material palette reflects both modern minimalism and regional architectural traditions. The combination of white concrete and aluminum is softened by the introduction of sliding wooden doors for the bedrooms and folding wooden shutters, which Arquitectura-G selected as a respectful nod to the area's vernacular architecture. "Only four materials are used throughout the house," the studio noted. "Concrete, aluminum for the windows, wood for shutters, doors, and furniture, and travertine for kitchen and bathroom surfaces."
This project represents part of Arquitectura-G's broader portfolio of innovative residential design. Previous homes by the studio include a duplex apartment in Barcelona finished in vibrant yellow tones and a residence cleverly inserted within the walls of a stone ruin in the medieval village of Palau-Sator. The Patio House photography was captured by Maxime Delvaux, showcasing the interplay of light, shadow, and materials that define this remarkable coastal residence.
