2022 - 2023
Castelldefels, Catalonia, Spain
Area: 180 m²
COMPLETED
Architect
Tuomo Jauhiainen
Quantity surveyor
Rosa Maria Vaca Flores
Team
Tuomo Jauhiainen, Mireia Esmatges
Castelldefels is a small city just outside Barcelona, bounded by mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. Beyond its centre lies a low-density neighbourhood of single-family houses. The clients wanted a single-storey house on a generous plot — an unusual brief in Catalonia, where limited plot sizes typically dictate multi-storey construction. A fast build was also a priority, which led to the choice of prefabricated steel frame elements. The building's volume is a straightforward box with a gabled roof, deliberately modified at specific points in plan and section to emphasise the entrance and introduce a generous ceiling height in the living room. In addition to shorter construction times, the lightweight prefabricated system offers excellent thermal performance compared to conventional brick-based construction.
