You cannot encompass the sea, its infinity. But you can try it from a hill, surrounded by green and typical pine forests of the Costa Brava. It can be framed, as in the illusion of a painting. It is the proposal of the Australian studio Mathieson Architects, directed by Phillip Mathieson, who wanted hold the blue horizon between the immaculate walls and columns of this mansion, with huge windows. With the intention that their owners may feel like sailors on land, floating sweetly from above.
“The sea is actually very close and takes up much of the view from the house. Make sure that the architectural language is clean, with crisp white lines, helps the sea feel even closer”, explica Phillip Mathieson para Magazine Lifestyle. This house is a living example of the modern style in architecture, which expanded with force and success from the fifties and whose principles last until today.
Aspect of the terrace, with the swimming pool. The house is framed within the typical landscape of the Costa Brava and has excellent views of the sea in the background (Romello Pereira / Mathieson Architects)
Little ornamentation, clear lines, integrating angles, effort for the interior and exterior they touch, a calm design and cleanliness in all forms, designed to make the life of its inhabitants comfortable and pleasant. Mathieson Architects, con sede en Sidney, He explains it this way: “Authentic and timeless design and rigor in planning”. To which he adds “a strong sense of scales, shapes and material and put the emphasis on attention to detail spaces built to survive changing fashions”.
This white house is located in a privileged place in another no less privileged town, Begur, in Girona. Its owners also come from the antipodes, a couple that lives in the house and “with whom we have worked on other projects in the past.” The house measures 450 square meters, a space that is divided into two levels. It has five rooms, each with its own bathroom, and its price is part of the summary secret. From the edge of the pool, with your bare feet wet with the humidity of the grass, you can enjoy a fabulous view of the Aigua Blava bay.
From the edge of the pool, with your feet on the grass, you have this view of the Aigua Blava bay, in Begur (Romello Pereira / Mathieson Architects)
The architectural design of the house follows the style of “less is more”, the maxim of the modern style, and follows in the wake of the work that this architectural firm has been carrying out in recent years. “We tend to take a similar approach with all of our projects,” says Mathieson, “even if there is some variety in the end result. We try to create generous spaces that have a good connection inside and out, that they have a simple palette of materials and finishes and that they use clear planning ”.
The mansion was built on an older one. “The existing house was divided into smaller rooms with glazing.” Partitions were demolished and the rooms were aligned in a different way: “Our job was to reform the house to clean clogs. By opening the spaces and creating a clean and unique line of glazing, the result was an outward opening, like that of a mailbox, which offered a look where you could lose your sight”, especifica Mathieson.
Cleaning the house of partitions and fixing windows allowed a vision similar to that of the opening of a mailbox (Romello Pereira / Mathieson Architects)
The house has been built so that the sea is present at all times: “The house is perched on the slope that descends towards the ocean, so there are sea views from all the rooms, but the view towards the tree covered hill at the rear is also beautiful” This side of the mansion seems built with the intention of safeguarding privacy.
Overture and seclusion
The house is designed for the exterior to penetrate it and to protect the privacy of its inhabitants
Everything that is open in the house so that the exterior penetrates without limits, both the sea and the blue of the sky, is, in this area, seclusion. The Brise Soleil Brick Screen [parasol] on the road frontage it was a suitable solution to create a uniform elevation of the street –explains the director of the study to Magazine Lifestyle–, as well as providing privacy to the rooms oriented in this way. The house is meant to be a backdrop for the view”.
The entrance on the hillside protects the privacy of the house and offers a surprising view of the sea, but as if it were the light – blue – at the end of the tunnel (Romello PEREIRA / Mathieson Architects)
The use of the color white stands out in the house: “This was, in part, a reaction to the client’s wish that the house be very quiet and neutral. We consider the house to be the backdrop in which life takes place and therefore a clean white touch allows the client’s personality to feel supported. ” But it is a common element in the creations of this team of architects, whose works also stand out for the virtues of the modern architectural style, both in residences and in hotels.
The predominantly white color offers a feeling of tranquility and well-being (Romello Pereira / Mathieson Architects)
The studio accepted the commission in November 2017, and clients moved into the new home in June 2019. Working from a distance had its advantages and disadvantages. “It did pose some challenges, such as late night Skype meetings, but the advantage was that we were able to make the necessary documentation changes during the day (while they slept) and were able to get them ready for construction the next day. Once we had the process running, it was quite efficient, “she explains.
–
