Grid House

GRID HOUSE

LOCATION: Menorca, Spain

CLIENT: Private

PROGRAM: House

SIZE: 185 m²

STATUS: Built

TEAM: Alicia Casals, Karl Johan Nyqvist, Gonzalo de la Parra, Jennifer Méndez, Mira Botseva, Blanca Algarra

PHOTOGRAPHER: Simone Marcolin

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Grid House is conceived as a clear architectural duality: a light, hovering structure resting on a solid, partially excavated base. Its raw concrete grid of beams and columns, cantilevered at the corners, extends outward into the surrounding landscape, reinforcing the house’s low-built presence and integration into the sloping terrain. This contrast defines both the spatial organization and the lived experience of the house, responding directly to the site while framing a relaxed, outdoor-oriented way of living.

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The main living level is designed as a single, generous platform that concentrates the essential program for a couple to live independently. Conceived as a fully functional and accessible layout, this level also serves as the primary access floor. A three-sided glazed perimeter encloses the living area, kitchen and ensuite master bedroom, allowing uninterrupted visual continuity with the surrounding terraces. Indoor and outdoor spaces merge seamlessly, with dining and lounge areas extending outward alongside a 15-metre-long swimming pool. Positioned along the south edge, the pool is conceived as an integral architectural element. Directly connected to the living room and terraces, it becomes part of the platform’s inner landscape, stretching towards the views as one swims along it.

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This elevated level captures the site’s most expansive views, while legislative constraints on buildable area are addressed through large external terraces that further reinforce its laid-back lifestyle. The hovering exposed concrete structure that frames the platform gives the house its distinctive character, strengthening the sense of continuity between inside and outside while lending the upper volume a light, suspended presence.

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Beneath this platform, partially embedded into the terrain, a more grounded volume accommodates the guest rooms. In contrast to the open plan above, this lower level adopts a more traditional layout and is oriented towards the eastern sea views. The difference between the two levels is expressed architecturally through the façade treatment: horizontally articulated cladding above and a softer rendered finish below, both unified by an off-white palette.

Arrival is carefully choreographed, with the driveway and pedestrian access positioned on opposite sides of the house. A sequence of steps rises through planted terraces, visually dissolving the base into the garden and reinforcing the house’s dialogue between structure and landscape.