House X near Madrid by Bojaus Arquitectura

The family who commissioned the weekend house chose a plot in a dream location on the outskirts of Valdemorillo, a municipality about 30 km north-west of Madrid. The house is in a suburban residential area, yet it has unobstructed views of the green countryside. The land here rises gradually from the Madrid lowlands to the Sierra de Guadarrama, and the Madrid-based architectural practice knew how to take advantage of this gently undulating topography. Between the impressive granite boulders on the property, the architects placed an X-shaped structure, which gave the house its name.

Towards the valley, the house opens onto a covered terrace. © Luis Asín

The interior spaces follow the contours of the terrain, featuring numerous subtle changes in elevation. From the west-side entrance, you pass the cloakroom and enter the kitchen, which is at the intersection of the four wings and the heart of the house. To the left, in the north-west and north-east wings, are four bedrooms, each spanning two levels. To the south, facing the valley, the kitchen opens onto the living room. At the end of the room, three steps down, you will find a workspace and a covered terrace.

The open kitchen is located at the intersection of all the house's paths. © Luis Asín

The house's most striking feature is its exposed concrete walls, which appear to be stacked from 60 cm high blocks. The walls are 50 cm thick and contain 10 cm of core insulation, with 20 cm of concrete on either side. The concrete was produced on site using local aggregates, poured by hand into the formwork and then compacted. This explains the relatively small sections of concrete visible in the facade. Exposed concrete walls and ceilings also characterise the interior. These are complemented by oak parquet flooring, walnut furniture fronts, and limestone terrace flooring that, at first glance, is indistinguishable from the concrete walls. Pale green wood-aluminium windows discreetly complement the robust building envelope.