Azenya Villas

Designed during the country's economic crisis, the project was driven by one idea: to keep construction costs as low as possible without compromising the experience of the place.

The answer was a simple gabled form with a small footprint, extended vertically rather than spread across the land, and repeated to give the retreat a clear identity.

The lower level accommodates parking and services, and its roof becomes a landscaped lawn terrace, while the villas step up across the two levels above, giving each an unobstructed view of the valley.

The structure is built from slender 25 mm × 75 mm box sections, forming a light frame that keeps material use to a minimum.

The roof sheeting continues down the sides of each villa to become its outer skin, so roof and wall read as one continuous envelope.

Each villa is organized vertically. The ground floor holds a small living area, dining space, and pantry opening onto the garden.

Room heights were deliberately kept low to create an intimate, cozy atmosphere, while the wide openings keep the compact interiors connected to the landscape.

The attic is the highlight of each villa. Its timber-clad ceiling follows the pitched geometry, wrapping the space in warmth, while a large triangular opening at the gable end draws in light and frames the surrounding hills.

The villas are arranged in pairs on either side of a central stepped path that climbs through dense planting.

Over time, the gardens have grown around and beneath the structures, merging the buildings with their context so that they appear to emerge from the hillside rather than sit upon it.