House in Torremocha. Madrid, Spain
2022
Architect: Ignacio Borrego
Construction: 2022
Collaborators: Muriel de Gracia Wittenberg, Rubén Gayarre, Monica di Salvo, Martina Casagrande, Vibhuti Choudhary, Chiara Pellegrinelli, Enrico Filippi, Iago María Grande
Structure: Baupanel
Facilities: José Luis Camiña (NORTAP)
Surveyors: Javier Mach and Javier González (DIRTEC)
Photographer: Javier Orive
Location: Torremocha de Jarama, Madrid
Plot area: 5,000 m2
Built area: 295 m2
Lying down is free and anything else is architecture. This is how Jorge Wagensberg defined the alteration of the territory caused by architecture. This helps us to protect ourselves from the uncertainty of the weather, but it must also allow us to settle on a place. A house is not only the envelope that protects us from the cold and the sun, but it is the alteration of the ground line to be able to relate to it in a comfortable way.
We are located on the southern slope of Somosierra, in the vicinity of the Lozoya and Jarama rivers, near their confluence. The steep slope of the plot and its optimal orientation towards south invites us to turn our back on the slope and face towards the distant views.
The requirement of a large outdoor space and a preferably separate sports court converts the project into a sequence of retaining walls and terraces to make horizontal platforms possible, between which there are two interior habitable levels. The upper one, more dedicated to the cold seasons, houses the fireplace and is more exposed to the sun, and the lower one, for the summer periods, is sheltered within the ground and opens up to the views and to the pool space protected in all its openings for the shadows cast by the upper floor.
Both levels open towards the valley, but while the upper floor delimits its framed perception towards three different landmarks of the landscape, the lower floor opens in continuity towards the entire horizon.
A third level is on the roof and exposed to the sky. It is occupied by a small soccer field that also allows other types of activities both day and night.