A concrete house conceived as an inhabitable garden

In Alicante, Grupo Aranea's introverted and entangled house, sees interiors intertwined with verdant outdoor spaces.

Grupo Aranea, Casa Toto, Alicante, 2018

The residence, curvilinear and intertwined, is born in opposition to the banality of the architecture and suburban landscape of Alicante. Surrounded by concrete walls, the house designed by the Spanish studio Grupo Aranea is almost completely introverted.

The context is characterised by a lack of singular elements and urban quality. The flat landscape has been invaded in a few years by the "pepitos", single-family houses typical of the sprawl.

Grupo Aranea, Casa Toto, Alicante, 2018
Gardens, patios and terraces are combined with the rooms of the house

Closed off within its irregularly shaped limits, Casa Toto is composed of a broad variety of spaces and paths. Patios, gardens, terraces and domestic environments – made of concrete, glass and wood – blend to form hybrid and labyrinthine areas. The home is a place to get lost.

The structure also houses a creative workshop and exhibition spaces, where the client can welcome guests and display his works.

The direct relationship with nature and outdoor spaces is possible thanks to the warm climate of Alicante, which has an average temperature of 19°C during the year.

“In our opinion, a house must develop with the time. We conceived Casa Toto as a changing laboratory, a place of continuous experimentation, a venue for exhibitions and parties," say the architects.

“It is capable of evolving, and it grows up with their habitants. This house is an inhabited garden.” 

Project:
Casa Toto
Program:
single family house
Location:
San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
Architect:
Grupo Aranea
Design team:
Francisco Leiva Ivorra, José Luis Carratalá Rico, Fernando Baeza Ponsoda, Andrés Llopis Pérez
Structural engineering:
Fernando Gómez Martínez
Interior design:
Fernando Baeza Ponsoda
Landscape design:
Marta García Chico
Area:
260 sqm
Completion:
2018

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