A striking white minimalist residence known as Sabater House has been completed in Alicante, Spain, featuring an extraordinary zigzag design that unfolds across a 780-square-meter plot. Designed by Spanish architectural firm Fran Silvestre Arquitectos, the house presents a serpentine form that creates an intriguing aerial view resembling a series of connected loops.
The architectural concept emerged from a desire to integrate the building seamlessly with its natural environment. According to Fran Silvestre Arquitectos, founded in 2005 by architect Fran Silvestre and renowned for its minimalist approach, "This project was born from its integration with the environment." The firm explains that "the building unfolds according to very clear geometry, departing from the concept of compact architecture."
Unlike traditional houses with four walls, a roof, and an entrance door, Sabater House appears as a mineral serpent with an azure eye when viewed from above. The design features four connected segments with a single vivid blue swimming pool positioned on one of the loops. This innovative layout employs a strategic approach that "allows for increasing the perimeter of contact between the dwelling and the exterior, creating a system of interior courtyards that seems to extend infinitely," according to the architects.
The house demonstrates a fascinating dichotomy between its white, minimalist appearance and its organic integration with the surrounding landscape. Philip Jodidio, director of Fran Silvestre Arquitectos, notes that "the combination of influences from Álvaro Siza's modernity and Andreu Alfaro's sculptural forms explains how Sabater House manages to be both geometric and organic." The long geometric reptilian body flows like a staircase among the vegetation of its expansive garden, carefully contouring around existing large trees while incorporating newly planted specimens.
The architectural design prioritizes dialogue with nature to invite fluidity and harmony throughout the site. "The architecture is conceived around the garden, aiming for a unified living experience. The project adapts to the topography like a terrace, evoking the steps of certain chapels," the architects explain. This modular system responds directly to the client's desire for a house capable of expanding loop by loop as needed to accommodate a large family, with the possibility of constructing additional loops for future expansion.
The current program spans three levels, each serving distinct functions. The upper first floor houses a "nighttime living space, oriented to overlook the sea above the treetops." From this level, residents can access both the roof and lower levels, allowing them to enjoy the luxuriant natural landscape as if from a elevated walkway. Structurally, the house functions as a bridge between the garage, positioned near the property boundary, and the circulation core, creating a "welcoming shaded portico."
This enclosed portico establishes an intimate space protected from the exterior, while the "service spaces on this floor benefit from zenithal lighting, giving identity to the circulation core and corridor." The ground floor remains closed to the southwest but opens toward the nearby sea, housing a complete residence that functions as a self-sufficient annex despite its autonomous functionality.
The basement level accommodates auxiliary spaces including the pool basin, technical rooms, and a multifunctional area. The entire project follows what the architects describe as "very clear geometry, made of rectilinear elements connected by a soft radius of curvature." Under the esplanade, residents can enjoy shaded, peaceful moments with direct access from inside the house, creating seamless indoor-outdoor living experiences that exemplify the project's commitment to harmonious environmental integration.
