Ses Clotades
Territory and Landscape Integration
Ses Clotades is an area located on the isthmus that connects La Mola with the rest of Formentera. It is a landscape shaped by hollows that sink between small sand dunes. It could be defined as a shifting topography, an interplay of rises and falls, born from the slow consolidation of a vast dune system now largely colonized by dense woodland.
On this threshold between the pine forest and the agricultural fields, the dwelling emerges, adopting the language of its surroundings: a dialogue of opposites—addition and subtraction, ascent and descent, solidity and permeability, light and shadow.
Resting on a concrete podium are three volumes: two bodies of different heights housing the living spaces, and a third that embeds itself into the earth to become water.
The tallest volume hides among the closest pine trees, where its mass is lightened by a constellation of courtyards that erode it and render it porous. Beside it, the smaller volume stands compact and opaque. Between the two stretches a permeable nexus, at once porch and gallery, which changes with the seasons.
On the lower level of the platform, the landscape is reflected in reverse: a basement illuminated by strategically placed courtyards, where the interplay of light and shadow evokes atmospheres of silent monumentality.
Program and Layout
The internal layout of Ses Clotades is not merely a functional response, but a physical translation of its exterior massing, where each architectural element takes on a specific role within the fabric of daily life.
The tallest volume is conceived as a fully equipped living unit, capable of functioning autonomously when the house is occupied by a single person or a couple. Its ground floor hosts an open-plan social area that integrates the living room, kitchen, and dining room. This space seeks continuity with the outdoors, allowing daily life to expand onto the terraces. The first floor is reserved for the master bedroom—a sanctuary featuring a walk-in closet and en-suite facilities—elevating itself above the pine forest in search of privacy. The spatial sequence culminates on the rooftop, transformed into a solarium and viewpoint. It acts as a privileged observatory over the landscape, offering sweeping views towards the south of Ibiza and the imposing silhouette of La Mola.
Clearly distinguished by its more compact and opaque character, the second volume houses three double en-suite bedrooms and a guest bathroom. This physical separation allows for the independent management of privacy, adapting to the varying occupancy of the house. Situated between these two volumes is the connecting nexus, a key element that functions as both a hinge and an entrance hall. This multifunctional space is the true heart of the house: a permeable gallery linking the most intimate spaces with the outdoors, mutating its character in rhythm with the changing seasons.
The project subverts the traditional notion of a basement through a strategy of voids and courtyards that flood the lower quarters with natural light. This level houses the private entrance, leading to a diverse program: a library that doubles as a screening room, a gym, and the service areas (laundry and mechanical rooms). Here, the interplay of light and shadow cast by the courtyards creates atmospheres of silent monumentality, where the architecture seems to embrace the earth. This floor also accommodates the garage and a large-capacity cistern that harvests rainwater, ensuring the dwelling’s self-sufficiency.
The entire structure rests upon a platform that not only mediates its contact with the topography but also generates highly crafted intermediate spaces:
To the east, the main terrace opens up, housing the swimming pool and becoming the quintessential outdoor gathering space.
Facing south and sheltered from the wind, a terrace protected by a system of lightweight shade sails offers a refuge of shade and calm.
Vehicular access is resolved through a ramp seamlessly integrated into the podium’s geometry, allowing vehicles to enter the lower level without disrupting the landscape harmony of the whole.
Self-Sufficiency, Sustainability, and Bioclimatic Systems
The environmental strategy of Ses Clotades transcends the mere implementation of technology to become a manifesto that moves beyond aesthetics in favor of ethics. Despite its size, the dwelling is resolved through a compact footprint and high-precision geometry that minimizes its impact on the fragile ecosystem in which it is situated. This holistic conception integrates self-sufficiency solutions that draw direct links to the vernacular architectural tradition of Formentera, where natural resource management has historically been a matter of survival.
The design is articulated to maximize climate comfort without relying exclusively on active systems.
Optimized cross-ventilation: the size and orientation of the openings have been carefully studied to ensure a constant airflow that naturally cools the interior.
Dynamic solar protection: the use of sliding or folding panels allows control over solar incidence according to the time of day and the season.
The nexus as a thermal lung: the glazed transition space acts as a reversible bioclimatic mechanism. In summer, large sliding doors transform it into a fully ventilated porch, shielded from direct solar radiation by a system of lightweight shade sails. In winter, this same space is enclosed to become a greenhouse-effect solar collector that distributes warmth to the rest of the house.
Energy and Light Management
The strategic arrangement of the courtyards is not merely an aesthetic choice but a tool to reduce electricity demand. These voids erode the built mass, allowing natural light and ventilation to reach even the lower levels, creating luminous atmospheres that challenge the usual darkness of basements. Furthermore, the roof of the lower volume has been utilized to integrate a photovoltaic system that contributes significantly to the overall energy self-sufficiency of the project.
The Water Cycle and the Natural Envelope
On an island with water scarcity like Formentera, rainwater management is central to the project. The dwelling features a harvesting system across all roofs that channels water into a large-capacity cistern located in the basement, ensuring an autonomous supply.
Finally, the building envelope reinforces this efficiency through the use of materials with excellent hygrothermal properties, such as projected natural cork insulation and lime binder, which allow for optimal breathability and a low ecological footprint.
Art and Set Design
The architecture of Ses Clotades is understood not merely as a physical structure, but as a narrative stage where space and objects engage in an intimate dialogue. In this process, the contribution of artist Elena Vinyàrskaya has been essential in infusing the dwelling with a layer of mindful domesticity, acting not only as an artist but as the curator of the set design.
Vinyàrskaya’s intervention is an extension of the architecture by other means. Through a meticulous selection of her own artworks, signature furniture pieces, and storied objects, the interior ceases to be a mere container, becoming a tableau of textures and meanings. The chosen textiles, ceramics, and styling elements seek a balance between the formal purity of the house and the warmth required for habitation, ensuring that every corner narrates a unique story of well-being and refuge.
Materiality and Detailing
The materiality of Ses Clotades is an exercise in coherence and restraint. Priority has been given to the use of natural materials that will age with the dignity of the surrounding landscape. The woodwork and shutters, crafted from iroko and pine, provide a tactile warmth that contrasts with the solidity of the concrete.
This constructive sincerity is also evident in the technical details, which are almost invisible yet vital for the building’s efficiency: sprayed natural cork and lime binder have been used to insulate the enclosing walls—materials with a low ecological footprint that allow the dwelling to breathe and integrate organically into the cycles of its environment.
Many of the furniture elements have been custom-designed and integrated into the architecture itself, such as the D12 collection for Diabla, while other details have been conceived to heighten the coherence between landscape, architecture, and interior design, underscoring the skill and expertise of the local artisans involved.
The result is a work where the precision of geometry and the imperfection of natural matter coexist in a silent equilibrium.
CREDITS
Architect : Marià Castelló
Construction Managers: Lorena Ruzafa + Marià Castelló
Quantity Surveyor: José Luis Velilla Lon
Structure Engineer: Ferran Juan
Facilities Engineer: Alcoitech Climatización SL
Design Team: Lorena Ruzafa, Marga Ferrer y Natàlia Castellà
Builder: Urbafor SL
Art & Set Design: Elena Vinyàrskaya
