Castroferro Arquitectura Designs Rural Galician Home with Exposed Concrete and Thermally Treated Pine

Castroferro Arquitectura has completed a single-family residence in Caldas de Reis, Pontevedra, within the rural landscape of Galicia. The project addresses the challenge of contemporary architecture integrating into fragmented, sloping agricultural terrain without diminishing the area's identity. The design responds to existing site features, including a granite terrace and a mature oak tree over fifty years old, which became organizational references for the building's placement and architectural strategy. Rather than imposing an autonomous volume, the house establishes relationships with these preexisting elements, incorporating the dwelling into the historical productive logic of the land. The design transforms the original topography into a resource, connecting two levels of the parcel with a linking element. A section of the existing granite wall was opened to create an access point, while an exposed concrete lintel maintains structural continuity. The lower floor accommodates social functions and an area linked to local winemaking tradition, opening to a patio that introduces natural light and extends the program outdoors. The upper floor is organized around two parallel exposed concrete walls that structure the domestic program and fragment the volume to align with the scale of traditional surrounding constructions. Between these walls, two offset blocks are arranged: one for private functions including access, bedroom, and workspace, and another for day-use areas conceived as a continuous space. A visual axis centers the existing tree within the interior experience. Material selection prioritizes local sourcing and constructive coherence. Exposed concrete dialogues with the preexisting granite, while the facade features Galician thermally treated pine arranged as a ventilated system, optimized for the Atlantic climate's humidity and rain. The use of aggregates from local quarries further reinforces material integration. The architecture is conceived to age progressively, accepting the passage of time as part of its relationship with the landscape. The project responds to an emerging user profile linked to remote work, demanding spaces that combine domestic life, concentration, and direct contact with nature. Beyond functional programming, it proposes a reflection on new ways of inhabiting rural environments, where architecture and context align to offer precise responses to societal transformations.