The periscope house in Mallorca by Luis Arredondo, concerns a vertical expansion of an existing building, that emphasizes spatial communication through diagonal views and simple materiality practices.

A house in the historic center of Montuïri with low value in the market, a unique condition in the layout of the plot and desired views behind the neighbors. These are the initial points of this project.

The plot has 5 meters of frontage on the north side, including the existing stone walls. The slope of the land is 4 meters between the front of the plot and its rear. This plot is compressed between a 12m high party wall to the south and a 10m facade to the north.

The existing house consists of ground floor +1, with a storage room and terrace on the roof, and is in poor condition, with problems of humidity, ventilation and illumination. An initial process of “archaeology” is carried out in which the stone walls and the facade are left uncovered to tell us about the different phases of growth of the original house.

It was decided to maintain and enhance these elements, making the materiality of the house and its process and evolution the main element of the project.

The next step is the obsession with light, we proceed to demolish the floor slabs, creating a central volume in the house where the stairs are located and that connects all floors, creating a visual diagonal that allows direct sunlight to enter all floors. This space dedicated to light changes the proportions of the space, and gives the house a quality in cubic meters and crossed views that make it unique.

The existing stone wall is extended with a new structural wall made of exposed thermo-clay blocks, creating a 14-meter high exposed wall that accompanies the entry of light and vertical movement.

On the second floor, we can appreciate the change of materials of the walls, going from stone to clay; the large volume emptied all the way to the ground floor, the irregularity of the existing slabs and the spiraling growth of the stairs give a special spatial movement to this area of visual communication.

On the top floor is the room of light, on the south side, looking over the courtyard, we have the neighbor’s wall covered with vegetation and the sun as protagonist, bathing the interior walls. On the north side, the non-existent wall, the views, the sunsets and the feeling of space. A living room facing outward, framed by the structural walls of the house, a wooden roof and polished concrete floor, simplicity of materials to emphasize the strength of this space.

The periscope house, a vertical expansion with spatial communication as  basis and a simple materiality as a frame.

The result is a unique house, where diagonal views are key and where light and views are present in every area.

Facts & Credits 
Project title Casa Periscopio / Periscope House
Typology Renovation, Extension 
Location Montuïri, Mallorca, Spain
Architecture Luis Arredondo, arquitecto
Construction end 2024
Area 130m2
Photography Lluís Bort
Text provided by the architects


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