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Stunning Views and a Pool Where You Least Expect It
An architect builds a hillside home in Barcelona, Spain, that makes the most of natural light and mountain views
This house in Barcelona, Spain, is architect Jorge Campreciós’ dream come true. Taking a cue from architectural inspirations such as Pierre Koenig and Richard Neutra, he built a statement home that adapts to its landscape and offers magical views of the Spanish countryside — not to mention a sneaky pool that pops up where you least expect it.
Campreciós and Garí met in Ibiza, Spain, and lived in Boston for five years, where Campreciós worked for several architectural studios and got a master’s degree in engineering while Garí worked as a journalist. Now both work from home in the real estate industry.
On hot days, they take a break to swim in the unique pool pictured here.
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On hot days, they take a break to swim in the unique pool pictured here.
Find a local architect on Houzz
Inspired by the big names of modern architecture, Campreciós sought to adapt his home’s design to the landscape. The result is a structure that, from certain vantage points, recalls the bow of a ship. Moreover, “the windows and doors toward the pool, which gets unobstructed light from the south, are essential to the natural lighting of the day area,” Campreciós says.
The house is on a steep slope and has three floors. The top floor has an office overlooking the pool, plus a bathroom with a shower. The middle level includes a large living and dining space, a kitchen with breakfast corner and large pantry, and a guest toilet. The lower floor contains the children’s bedrooms, the master bedroom with its en suite bathroom and dressing room, plus a laundry area.
The house is on a steep slope and has three floors. The top floor has an office overlooking the pool, plus a bathroom with a shower. The middle level includes a large living and dining space, a kitchen with breakfast corner and large pantry, and a guest toilet. The lower floor contains the children’s bedrooms, the master bedroom with its en suite bathroom and dressing room, plus a laundry area.
There are two entrances to the house, both on the south side. Whereas the family uses the entrance on the middle floor, visitors approach the house at street level on a wooden path that leads to a guest entrance to the top floor.
The office on the top floor looks out onto the pool. This space is exclusively for the parents’ use, since the children have study corners in their bedrooms.
This is the north side of the house, which offers incredible views. It’s a quiet environment with a lot of fresh air. “At nights we hear Dom barking, usually because a wild boar is approaching,” daughter Sofía says.
The interior features clean lines and open, functional spaces. Concrete, steel and wood are the primary materials used throughout.
The home was designed to optimize the views offered by the hillside property.
The terraces on the north side of the home have views of the mountains. The owners like to barbecue or read here.
The deck is Cumaru wood, also known as Brazilian teak, which is hard and durable and therefore easy to care for and ideal for outdoor spaces.
The deck is Cumaru wood, also known as Brazilian teak, which is hard and durable and therefore easy to care for and ideal for outdoor spaces.
The Montserrat mountain range can be seen in the distance from the home.
Here, the family — with the exception of the oldest son — pose on the cantilevered staircase, which is made of steel plates welded to a plate anchored to the concrete wall. (Rules governing stair handrails vary by country.)
“This is designed to be integrated naturally into the interior space,” Campreciós says.
The flooring in the rest of the house is oak, while the kitchen features a faux-slate ceramic. Black is the dominant color here because they wanted a dark hue to make the open kitchen recede visually. The countertops are Zimbabwe Black granite.
The star of the space is the large island, where guests often gather.
The star of the space is the large island, where guests often gather.
The wainscoting in the breakfast corner is made of wine corks collected by the couple. Behind the dining room area is a big pantry, ideal for a family of five.
This is the master bedroom. This entire lower level has underfloor heating, while cross-ventilation provides passive cooling. The couple say this level is the most comfortable on both the hottest and coldest days.
The bedroom includes a spacious dressing room, as well as a spa area with a hot tub and rain shower. Garí says she tries to reserve time “at least once a week for this little pleasure.”
Nando, left, Sofía and Dom enjoy the sunshine on the terrace of the home’s middle level.
The railing on the middle-story terrace, made of stainless steel cables, slants inward to express the nautical theme that sea enthusiast Campreciós loves so much. But it was also designed with safety in mind. “When we moved in, the children were 11, 4 and 3 years old, so we wanted something they wouldn’t be able to climb,” he says.
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The railing on the middle-story terrace, made of stainless steel cables, slants inward to express the nautical theme that sea enthusiast Campreciós loves so much. But it was also designed with safety in mind. “When we moved in, the children were 11, 4 and 3 years old, so we wanted something they wouldn’t be able to climb,” he says.
More on Houzz
Read more stories about homes around the world
Find a home design or remodeling pro near you
Shop for home products
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Jorge Campreciós; Ariana Garí; their three children, Gonzalo, 21 (who is studying in Boston), Sofía, 14, and Nando, 13; and Dom, their 4-year-old Jack Russell terrier
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Size: 3,767 square feet (350 square meters)
Architect: Jorge Campreciós of JC Architect