On our first meeting we forgot to tell the client that we had demolished the house that needed to be renovated, as reusing the old structure was not possible. There was another pretty good reason though: interesting projects usually come with challenging lands.

When it comes to the orientation of the house, the starting point could not be worse: facing northwest, access from the south, and slope to the north. All had been planned to get as much south as possible without missing the sights.

Tipaza was a serious house. The building is spatially organized like a logic like a periscope that searched for light throughout the day. The whole house is fan-shaped, a sort of display of cubic pieces, volumes sitting on a gray plinth and joined by sections of pink stone that move in a fractal strategy. This articulated sequence adjusts the light diffusion by using a thorough technique.

In addition to the rhythms created by the three pieces create a rhythm by binding and disengaging depending on the façade and its connection to the landscape. We worked with strata, combining volumes, materials, colors and textures to reproduce those of the bay of Port Roig.

The gray horizontal band on the first floor mirrors the cliff and white cubes are placed above. The wooden grilles that shade the entrance of light evoke the fishermen’s houses, which look like boxes that protect access and facilitate ventilation with their wooden lattices from the top of the stone ramp.

We also learned from the client: he asked for a bar and we resisted, but since then, as a unifying element ever since, like a transitional element between lifetimes.