A handcrafted residence

Located amid a rural setting of farm fields, pines and oaks in Baix Empordà, on Spain’s north-eastern coast, the design of this handcrafted residence by Barcelona-based architecture and design studio MESURA is informed by both its natural surroundings and the region’s architecture culture. Configured in shape and orientation responding to the property’s views, Casa Ter was primarily built with local materials, concrete and stones from the River Ter which flows through the county and where the house takes its name from, and ceramics from the nearby historic township of La Bisbal.
Aiming for a light footprint, the house is comprised of two low-slung rectangular buildings in an L-shaped configuration, one of which is topped by a Catalonian-style barrel vault. Constructed out of sandy-coloured concrete with ceramic insets forming horizontal streaks, the buildings earthy tones and natural textures echo the surrounding landscape, harmoniously anchoring the house in its natural setting and imbuing the building with a sculptural sense of craftsmanship. Sourced from La Bisbal, one of the leading pottery centres in Catalonia, ceramic tiles have also been used to line the pool terrace which extends out to the fields, as well as the vaulted ceilings that dominate the interiors.
The heart of the house beats in the dining room. Flanked by the kitchen on the one side and the living room on the other, the porch-like space features wall-to-wall glass sliding doors that once opened connect it to the entrance courtyard on the one side, and the pool terrace on the other.
Part indoor, part outdoor, the room becomes a covered patio in the summer and a sunroom in the winter. One can choose to keep nature at a distance through the windows or to let it into the home. A series of larger and smaller windows frame intimate views throughout the house, while more panoramic views are reserved for the master bedroom on the upper level.

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