As the building doesn’t sit above a basement or car park, the studio took the opportunity to dig down into the site’s foundations.

At the heart of the office, the floor is now punctuated by three holes. Two of these were turned into cushioned conversation pits while the third overflows with leafy tropical plants.

“Light and vegetation becomes the centre from which the project is structured,” explained the studio. “[The] unusual and beautiful background is intended to encourage photography.”

Two large concrete tables were placed on either side of the office – one functioning as a communal work desk while the other can be used for general staff gatherings, surrounded by steel stools.

Steel was also used to create a sculptural prep counter in the office’s kitchen.

The only rooms that are closed off are those used for meetings or by the accounting department.

Plain white curtains were installed around their perimeter so that they, too, can serve as spaces to photograph models if necessary.

To maintain the office’s open plan, the toilets were tucked away beside the building’s stairwell. Here, an expansive picture window overlooks the street, bisected by a chunky concrete washbasin.

There’s also a floor-to-ceiling mirror where visiting models can do their makeup.

Text provided by the architect.

The house lends its shape from looking for the different views of the site, with each volume running out towards one; The sea, the hills and the fields.

The entrance path of Casa Ter takes you to an enclosed patio generated by two volumes in “L” (positioned on the flat side of the plot). One volume functions as a public area, while the other, is private, in the form of a series of bed- and bathrooms.

The second volume connects the kitchen to the public area, creating a meeting point in-between the two volumes. This meeting point is designed as a traditional porch, part indoor, part outdoor, as the space comes with big, glass sliding doors that can be closed or opened depending on the weather (much needed shade in summer, closed off in winter).

On the second floor, we find the master bedroom, which comes with an enormous Catalan vault whose geometry corresponds to the extrusion of the curve that is limited by the maximum height allowed, the centreline of the walls, and the facade of the house. With the bedroom being the most intimate space, only does this room, gives glimpses of the complete surrounding landscapes.

A Mediterranean way of living means living outdoors a lot, due to the pleasant climate throughout the year. In Spain, it’s not uncommon to have an outdoor kitchen or living area, where people spend most of their days together. Ideally, these areas are very connected to the inside of the home, extending the living space, and creating ambiguous spaces, in between indoor and outdoor.

Casa Ter is a polyvalent home in the sense that it can be used in various ways depending on the needs of the user or the time of the year. The house can be closed off or set open completely. One can choose to keep nature at a distance through the windows, or to let it into the home. The centre area, the porch, can be whatever the user wants it to be.

Text provided by the architect.

When the house is closed, the humidity by capillarity that has passed into the environment through this hemp plinth disappears thanks to the strategic location of several ceramic vents on opposite facades that renew the air. They also used hemp on the roofs due to its very high thermal capacity (three times higher than conventional treatments), and in the walls separating rooms due to its extraordinary acoustic capacities (high density). They learned that the raw energy consumed in its manufacture is very low, fast growing and easy to cultivate. It is healthy and highly durable. They have to know that the use of hemp in construction contributes to sequestering, and even reducing, greenhouse gases during the useful life of the building. Without a doubt, it is one of the materials of the future since it is also beginning to be used as a structural system, penalizing our esteemed concrete.

Text provided by the architect.