Located halfway between Sant Lluís and Cala Torret, the original house of Sa Vigia is a building from the late 90s, made of brick and cement, devoid of any trace of popular wisdom, inherent in traditional Menorcan architecture.
The great virtue of this estate is that it is located in the middle of a fabulous natural setting: fields of wheat and low vegetation, olive trees and some fig trees, followed by a network of dry stone walls in perfect condition that show - once again - the firm conviction and awareness of Menorcan society to preserve its heritage, of whatever kind.
The architectural proposal for the existing house does not aim to make it disappear, but proposes a series of small-scale interventions to root it back in the landscape and improve its comfort and experience.
Beneath this apparent restraint lies a much deeper goal: to transform the current volumes - isolated boxes from the outside - into a continuum of somewhat sheltered spaces, where the definitions of "inside" and "outside" are completely ambiguous.
To achieve this purpose, the following lines of work are deployed:
1.- Work on the perimeter of the house by adding light elements - intermediate spaces. We resort to some elements typical of traditional architecture: porches, sheds, pergolas, patios and vegetation are grafted into the house, adding gradations, nuances, shaded spaces, richer transitions and, ultimately, expanding the range of possibilities to inhabit the house. The Mediterranean climate is a changing climate, as reflected in its popular architecture over the centuries. From a room you go to a porch, move to a courtyard, then under a tree, through another pergola that accompanies you to a porch, and so on. Spaces of different porosity that offer various degrees of protection and shade.
2.- Work on the existing façade: some small sections of the façade are modified, cut and enlarged, especially the encounters between volumes. In this way we always get openings - and light - at the end of each corridor, as well as a better relationship with the outside. This light at the end of the spaces encourages you to walk around the house, to scrutinize all its corners. Some facade walls are stretched to form small courtyards that add another layer of transition: rooms, eaves, semi-open courtyards and fields. Degrees of intimacy that enrich the tours of the house.
3.- Chromatic work: just like popular architecture -almost always plastered with lime mortar- a lime paint is used to wrap the various existing shades and unify the whole intervention. The white bounces the light to most interior spaces, which will receive a very pleasant diffused light. In the same way, the existing interior pavement - of artificial porcelain stoneware tiles - is replaced by a natural continuous pavement made with local aggregates and lime mortar. A soft and at the same time fresh pavement.
The result is a house that seeks integration into the landscape while fostering a Mediterranean lifestyle; a life linked to the sea, land, landscape and which often runs on the threshold between interior and exterior.
Material Used :
1. Facade cladding: Lime mortar
2. Flooring: Lime mortar with local stone pebbles
3. Doors: Artisanal wood
4. Windows: Artisanal wood
5. Roofing: Concrete beams
6. Interior lighting: divers
7. Interior furniture: divers
