New-build and renovation on the Costa Blanca

Villa El Portet, in Moraira, sits high above the cove of the same name and follows the natural slope of the site in the way it is built up. The house consists of a series of compact volumes that step down the hill, so that they settle into the landscape as a matter of course. The white façades give a calm, timeless appearance and let the architecture speak for itself, while the natural stone chimney adds warmth and acts as the central architectural element.

Deep roof overhangs with exposed beams give shelter from the Mediterranean sun. Thanks to the glass balustrades the panoramic view remains entirely unobstructed.

The change in level across the plot is taken up by garden terraces and natural stone retaining walls, into which the garage and the lower living floors are discreetly integrated. Large sliding doors with slim frames run down to the floor, so that the transition between inside and outside all but disappears. The living spaces are thus in direct contact with the generous terrace and the infinity pool, where the water merges visually with the view over the bay of El Portet.

Casa Mos, in Moraira, is marked by an architecture in which traditional elements are given a contemporary reading. On the front elevation, facing the drive, narrow vertical window openings and pronounced pitched roof planes set the picture. The roof draws on the building tradition of the region but is carried out as a single continuous plane, which gives the house a crisp and quiet appearance.

Towards the street the house reads as closed and offers calm and privacy. On the garden side the design opens up completely to the terrace and the pool. Because the living room floor meets the terrace without a step, inside and outside run into one another naturally.

The entrance hall forms the spatial heart of the house and extends over two storeys. A void with an open staircase brings daylight deep into the interior and creates a strong visual link between the two floors. Every room is reached from the hall. The living room, with the fireplace as its central element, lies on the garden side and connects directly to the terrace. An open landing runs along the void, subtly accented in the evening by carefully integrated lighting.

Villa Mar de Japón, in Moraira, is built up from clear, balanced volumes that give the house a calm and timeless appearance. The white rendered façades, characteristic of contemporary Mediterranean architecture, are combined with natural stone from the region. The stone reappears in the chimney and in other vertical accents, which add warmth and anchor the house firmly in its surroundings.

Large windows with slim frames and glass balustrades provide a continuous connection with the garden and the surrounding landscape. Inside and outside flow into one another effortlessly, so that Mediterranean outdoor living becomes a natural part of the house.

Daylight, comfort and a pleasant indoor climate are central to the design. Deep overhangs, canopies and a white pergola give cooling shade to the covered terraces, among them a fully equipped outdoor kitchen. The infinity pool, laid out parallel to the house, forms a natural part of the garden and strengthens the relationship between architecture and landscape.

Casa Pintor Gris, in Moraira, is designed as a single-storey house, with all the living spaces on one level. The floor inside runs seamlessly into the adjoining terrace, so that the move between inside and outside happens without a threshold and daily use is that much more comfortable. Varying ceiling heights give the rooms a character of their own and bring a subtle spatial dynamic.

Outside, the pergola forms a continuous horizontal line along the façade, softening the volumes visually and giving the design a lightness. On the street side a natural stone wall provides calm and privacy, while towards the garden the house opens up. The pool runs lengthwise beside the house, parallel to the pergola, and reinforces the clean lines and the coherence of the design as a whole.

Casa Eucaliptus, in Moraira, is a completely renovated 1970s house in which both the architecture and the level of comfort have been brought up to today's standards. The original volume has been extended with new interlocking flat-roofed elements, so that old and new merge into a single coherent whole.

The white rendered façades, with subtly rounded corners, soften the crisp lines of the design. New wooden gate doors and terracotta paving connect seamlessly, in material and in character, to the original character of the house.

The change in level across the plot is taken up by terraces at different levels, linked to one another by white rendered steps with terracotta treads. As a contemporary counterpoint, the raised pool is finished in large, light-toned ceramic tiles, which brings a clear, crisp accent into the natural material palette.