Casa Tres Patis by Twobo Arquitectura

The municipality of Albons is located around 5 km from the Mediterranean coast in north-eastern Catalonia, and is similar to many other Costa Brava hinterland municipalities in that the historic village centre is surrounded by detached houses, almost all of which have their own swimming pool. The luxurious 280 m² Casa Tres Patis (English: House of Three Courtyards) also has a swimming pool as part of its basic amenities. However, it is integrated into a complex open-space and building concept. 

Four steps connect the dining room to the slightly lower living area. © José Hevia

On the 1,600 m² plot close to the centre, an art historian and a film director wanted to build a house for themselves and their children. In their briefing to the Barcelona-based architectural practice, Twobo, they cited two references: the Case Study Houses, which the filmmaker was familiar with from his work on the American West Coast; and the ruins of the Greco-Roman city of Empúries, located just 5 km from Casa Tres Patis on the Costa Brava. 

In practice, this meant lightweight industrial steel structures embedded in an open-plan concept modelled on Roman villa architecture. Twobo Arquitectura succeeded in translating this vision into a coherent architectural concept. A high wall surrounds three sides, enclosing three structures and three very different open spaces. Inside, the surrounding concrete roofs resemble modern cloisters and provide shade for the paths.

Ground floor plan, Graphic © Twobo Arquitectura

The largest courtyard is diagonally opposite the main house, which contains a dining room, living room, master bedroom and bathroom, as well as a wing with two children's rooms and a utility room. The second-largest courtyard contains a shallow water basin which collects rainwater from the roofs and cools the buildings. Despite its rather decentralised location, the parallels to the atrium of Roman houses are unmistakable. At the southern end of the property is the guest wing and garage with a small, garden-like entrance courtyard. 

The steel structures are clad on the outside with Mediterranean tiles and brise-soleils made of perforated bricks. © José Hevia

Unlike the substantial canopies and concrete tables in the courtyards, the three structures are supported by a lightweight steel frame, the Californian influence of which is unmistakable. They are clad with glass, ceramic tiles and translucent screens made of perforated bricks on the outside. Inside, iroko wood panelling on the walls and ceiling, as well as natural-coloured and blue-glazed tiles, demonstrate that the Case Study Houses model is not confined to the American West.  


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