Architecture studio Anna and Eugeni Bach renovated and extended a vacation home in the ancient village of Fonolleres, Spain, adding a series of balconies, pergolas, and terraces for everyday outdoor living.
This project, called Fonolleres House, extends an existing house on the outskirts of the village so that its owner can make better use of the outdoor areas.
Rather than demolish and rebuild, Anna and Eugeni Bach kept most of the existing house and expanded it with a series of additions found on the way Fonolleres – a small medieval settlement of 39 inhabitants in Catalonia’s Empordà region – has evolved over the centuries.
The town is characterized by clusters of ocher-colored stones and ceramic buildings, which have been expanded and changed over time.
This same method introduces a palette of objects. Terracotta bricks, timber and silicate paint were chosen to match the tones of the local stone buildings, helping the extension blend into the surrounding area.
“We kept most of the existing house as a way to reduce waste and energy use,” Anna and Eugeni Bach told Dezeen.
“We wanted the house to blend naturally with this setting,” added the studio. “The result is a monochromatic design made up of individual elements linked by geometry, texture and color.”
The extension follows the same shape and volume as the existing house, while adding a set of outdoor structures, including a veranda, pergola, terrace and barbecue area.
These new spaces were designed around the Mediterranean climate and the idea that activities usually associated with the interior of the house can take place outside.
“In the Mediterranean climate, we spend a lot of time outside,” says the studio. So we designed a deck that can be used all day, with a large dining table for gatherings, a living room for entertaining or enjoying a nap.
“A large balcony provides an opportunity to bring much of the life that happens indoors to the outdoors,” it continued.
The biggest addition is a long veranda that extends over the garden and partly over the existing swimming pool, creating a sheltered outdoor area for dining, reading and relaxing.
A circular pergola shades the outdoor breakfast table, while a triangular barbecue volume projects from the facade.
Anna and Eugeni Bach used different geometric forms to give each addition its own identity while separating them from the main house.
“As we keep the main volume of the house as a very compact rectangular form, we want the different additions to have their own personality and show their independence from the main volume,” explained the architects. “The best way to do that was to use geometry.”
Similar geometric forms reappear within the extension, including a double-height triangular space that connects the library and music studio on the ground floor with the master bedroom above, which showcases the triangular barbecue volume outside.
Designed around the owner’s interests in reading and music, this space allows music from the studio to filter into the bedroom while providing easy access to books from both spaces.
Hidden behind the bed is a small study room connected to the library below, creating a side area dedicated to the owner’s favorite books.
“The double-height triangle is a very special moment in the house,” says the studio. “This double height connects the most personal areas of the house: the master bedroom, the studio and the library.”
Founded in 1999 by husband and wife duo Anna and Eugeni Bach, the eponymous studio is based in Barcelona and works across urban planning, architecture, interiors and object design.
The studio’s previous projects include the renovation of a 19th-century chocolate factory in Spain into a family home and studio apartment, and a Barcelona building with bright yellow balconies.
Photo taken by Eugeni Bach.