In Mallorca, a project unites two houses with a long patio

Isla Architects have translated the local character of the Balearic Islands into a dialogue of earth, stone and white interiors gathered around a linear open space

Casa Mila is made of just a few elements: light, permeating the space; lime plaster, smooth and white inside, earthy and rough on the façades; green wooden elements; and a reinterpretation of Palladian flooring. With these elements, the Isla studio has designed two homes, a main house and a guest house, connected by a long and narrow courtyard.
The idea, born from the acquisition of a plot adjacent to the main house, revolves around a narrow strip of land, 25 meters long and 2.5 meters wide, which is conceived as a habitable border, a place to explore light and define an open space enclosed within the built environment.

Isla Architects, Casa Mila, Esporles, Mallorca, 2024. Photo Luis Díaz Díaz.

The main house completely reorganized the existing structure, with a spacious living room and a kitchen on the ground floor that directly connects to the courtyard. On the first floor, a large playroom opens to the surrounding landscape, with green-painted wooden window frames echoing the lush vegetation. From here, access is provided to a terrace and to a separate volume housing two bedrooms on two stacked levels.
The white lime plaster and flooring throughout the home reflect light, while exposed wooden beams, doors, and windows add character to the living spaces.

Completing the project is the long courtyard, its rough materials contrasting with the interiors. The open space is enclosed on one end by a small garage and on the other by the guest house, where the kitchen wall fully opens to create an inhabited threshold.
Here, the interior finishes mirror those of the main house, establishing continuity in a project that successfully finds a cohesive identity within a small urban fragment, balancing contrasts, light, and the interplay of open and enclosed spaces.

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