A new prefabricated home series from Tini Living, designed by Madrid-based architecture firm Delavegacanolasso, is setting a new standard for modular construction by paying homage to California's iconic Case Study Houses. The innovative project celebrates light, proportion, and harmony with the surrounding landscape while maintaining the highest architectural standards.
The architects explain that their approach diverges significantly from typical prefabricated housing catalogs. "These are predefined dwellings designed according to the highest architectural criteria, far from prefabricated house catalogs and close to the spirit of the Case Study Houses," they state. The design philosophy centers on three core principles: proportion, orientation, and site integration, with every decision responding to a search for clarity, permanence, and environmental respect.
According to architect Paco Marín, this modern architecture approach, typical of the last century, successfully combined formal clarity, constructive efficiency, and site sensitivity. "At Tini Living, we believe it's time to reconnect with this vision: building houses that celebrate the essential, integrate with their environment, and are defined by their precision, proportions, and luminosity," the team continues.
The first example of this concept is Case Study Tini 01, a 1,615-square-foot retreat installed on a 2.5-acre plot in Segovia, Spain. The site is characterized by its distinctive red earth and oak forest. The architects explain that the design was born from the location itself. "The terrain, with its reddish ravines, mature oaks, and pronounced topography, demanded an architecture that doesn't compete with the landscape but blends into it," they note.
This site-responsive approach led to the use of a red Viroc facade (a composite panel of wood particles and cement) for the main house, which blends seamlessly with the surrounding tones. Lime-washed walls create interior courtyards and transition zones where fig trees and oleanders grow. "Local, fresh, and mysterious vegetation transforms each threshold into an experience," Tini Living explains.
Despite the rural environment, the space is classified as urban land. The architects clarify that "industrialization or prefabrication concerns the construction system used, not the regulations. Therefore, the necessary permits are the same as for traditional construction." However, these permits can slow down this type of building, whose design, construction, and installation timelines are fixed at one month, 210 days, and two weeks respectively. In total, less than nine months pass between the birth of the idea and the construction of the house, plus the time required for administration to issue the required permits.
Unexpected challenges can arise during the process. The installation of the house was completed in December, but landscaping and earthwork related to the outdoor space couldn't begin until May due to continuous rain. The clay soil drains poorly, which complicated the completion of the gardening work. The team had to be patient, as the house is promoted by the team itself to showcase the system's versatility and possibilities.
The architects were involved in every detail and paid particular attention to design and environmental integration. "In this project, we also combined our industrialized system with walls or fences built on site, which contextualize the building and give it character, creating courtyards, planters, and a raised garden," the Tini Living team explains.
At Tini Living, the construction system is refined and precise, allowing them to "approach each project with agility and mastery, while maintaining quality and architectural intention." The prefabricated house includes a single floor with a kitchen, living-dining room, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a terrace, and a swimming pool. An additional guest house pavilion provides an independent bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. Everything is powered by sustainable energy, as the house is equipped with solar panels and an aerothermal system.
The interiors feature pine panels that project an almost golden light from the exterior. The flooring combines oak and cork, bringing warmth, texture, and silence to the space. "Everything is designed to create a feeling of refuge, of home," the architects explain. For the guest house, the galvanized steel facade allows the module to blend into nature, reflecting the forest's nuances and dissolving among the oak trees. The interior is covered with bamboo and oak, creating a space that designers describe as compact, warm, and calm.
The kitchen is designed by Cubro, while the living spaces feature furniture from Boca Concept and Pummba. Large windows are protected by a bamboo pergola when the orientation is not optimal, allowing very soft and pleasant light to filter through. Where orientation isn't favorable, these pergolas provide necessary shade while maintaining the connection to the outdoors.
The result is a composition of spaces that are both sober and welcoming, fully open to the surrounding nature. Meticulously detailed, they are, like their environment, in constant evolution thanks to the quality of materials used that "age with dignity," an important aspect for the agency. The intentionally curved wall creates a gentle meadow that respects an existing oak tree, making the horizon continuous without edges.
The 215-square-foot guest house module complements the main structure. A small swimming pool completes the ensemble "like a silent pause in the middle of the landscape." Thanks to its construction system, this house is fully reproducible, offering clients the opportunity to recreate this architectural vision in different locations while maintaining the same high standards of design and environmental integration.
The project represents a successful marriage of industrial construction methods with thoughtful architectural design, proving that prefabricated homes can achieve the same level of sophistication and site sensitivity as custom-built residences. The materials chosen are designed to weather gracefully, ensuring the structures will continue to evolve and improve with age, much like their natural surroundings.
