Beach house in Costa Brava

In the shores of the Costa Brava in Spain a vacation house stands on a rock with private access to the beach: Nook Architects intervened keeping its Mediterranean soul.

Bordering the Mediterranean Sea, the Camí de Ronda is a historical coast path that connects the villages and beaches of the Costa Brava. Along the way, Nook architects renewed a house that is part of a protected complex. The house spreads out over four floors and it sits upon a rock and descends, in steps, to the sea, to which it is connected through a private jetty.

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  The owners were looking for an independent usage of the secondary rooms, as well as the collective usage of a communal area connected to the main terrace. It was necessary to make some adjustments to the functional plan, converting a shady terrace on the second floor into a new bedroom and adding bathrooms on the second and third floors. Restoration work was performed throughout the building to repair the facades, roofs and terraces. The overall volume of the house was maintained with its mediterranean colour and aesthetics.

Img.12 Nook Architects, Beach house in Costa Brava, Spain, 2017

The interior layout of the house was modified, by opening up holes in the walls and installing skylights to maximise the views and flood the entire building with natural light. The staircase acts as a thread that connects all four floors. The attic, the communal areas and the bedrooms are all linked with direct access to the beach. The windows of the seaside facade offer complete exposure, minimizing the division between indoors and outdoors. At the exterior of the house, the blinds and the pergola limit the sun rays, ensuring comfortable temperatures even in summer.

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Nook Architects, Beach house in Costa Brava, site plan
Nook Architects, Beach house in Costa Brava, ground floor plan
Nook Architects, Beach house in Costa Brava, first and second floor plan
Nook Architects, Beach house in Costa Brava, exploded axonometry

  Many of the house’s original elements, such as the tiled flooring and wooden beams, were recovered to preserve the traditional character of the building. These original features interact with the more modern wooden, cement, steel and ceramic components. The design and introduction of custom-made furniture was of special importance to this project, contributing a functional value to each room.


Beach house in Costa Brava
, Girona, Spain
Program: vacation house
Architects: Nook Architects
Area: 243 sqm
Structures: Francesc Gorgas
Main contractor: Oak 2000
Concrete work: Michael Roschach
Completion: 2017