Mañariku House

Durango, Spain

Durango, Spain
2021

Mañariku House

The refurbishment and extension of a villa by the Basque architect Nicola de Madariaga. The project takes up the most recognisable decision of his design (keeping the structure on show) and carries it further, until the built elements become the main language of the house.

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Madariaga entrusted much of the villa's character to its exposed structure. The intervention begins with respect for that idea and continues it from a new standpoint: although the house is reorganised and extended, the walls and supports he left visible gain prominence and also govern what is added.

Exposed concrete underlines the original elements and defines the new spaces (gym, sauna, pool and garage) so that extension and existing building read with a single material logic. Local stone ties the house to its place, and timber tempers the solidity of the whole.

The pool condenses the approach: suspended over a south-facing hillside, with the valley open before it, its cantilever answers to the same structural logic as the house, visible in the concrete ribs that support its most exposed parts.

Services occupy the ground floor, daily life opens onto the garden at the intermediate level, and the private spaces take the upper floor, facing the best views.

Mañariku at dusk, with a concrete frame, timber railings and illuminated interiors.

People on Mañariku's terrace, with timber railings and views of the mountains.

Two tall, narrow openings in the concrete facade beneath the roof overhang.

Detail of the concrete structure and timber slats, framed by tree branches.

Concrete balcony with timber railings above the edge of the pool.

Overflow edge of the pool with trees and mountains beyond.

Elevated view of the long pool, with a person in the water and mountains beyond.

The house and the concrete pool volume, raised above the sloping garden.

Mañariku viewed from the sloping garden, with balconies facing the landscape.

Stacked balconies with timber railings and exposed concrete beams.

Lawn with the pool to one side and mountains in the distance.

Paved path and steps beside the terrace, overlooking the valley at sunset.

Concrete pool beside the house, with sun loungers and mountains beyond.

Two balconies with timber railings and exposed beams, with mountains beyond.

Outdoor steps through planting leading to a door in a concrete wall.

Junction between the pool, pale paving and garden steps.

Dark door between concrete columns, with a cat sitting on the threshold.

Side of the concrete pool above the sloping garden, with trees beyond.

Mañariku's facade and sloping garden at dusk, with lights beside the house.

Detail of stone steps with irregular joints.

Living room with a stone fireplace and seating beside glazing facing the terrace.

Dark kitchen cabinets with two built-in ovens beside a concrete column.

Dark kitchen island beside glazing, with a timber stool and a suspended linear light.

Timber table beside a concrete column, with the kitchen and windows beyond.

Timber table and chairs beside the kitchen island and full-height windows.

Pool viewed through full-height glazing beside timber shelving.

Pool surrounded by pale paving, with the sunset sky reflected in the water.

Illuminated entrance between concrete walls, with a person beside the door.

View from below of the concrete pool wall, with several people beside the edge.

Elevated view of the pool with a person in the water, sun loungers and mountains beyond.

Year: 2021
Location: Durango, Spain

Project details

Team: Ramos Bilbao arquitectos
Photography: Xabier Ramos