- Project: Sardinera House
- Architect: Ramon Esteve Studio
- Location: Spain, Jávea, Alicante, Valencia
- Year: 2015
- Area: 1285 m2
- Photography: Mariela Apollonio
A Coastal Icon in Jávea
The Sardinera House by Ramón Esteve is an extraordinary contemporary residence perched on a hillside in Jávea, Alicante. Positioned between El Portixol and Cala Blanca, the villa commands breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea, embracing its setting of turquoise waters and rugged headlands with bold architectural clarity.
Mass and Lightness
The house is defined by a dramatic composition of vertical concrete walls and deep cantilevers. These elements compress and expand views, generating verandas that open toward the horizon. Despite their massiveness, the cantilevers seem to hover weightlessly, creating a dynamic tension between solidity and lightness.
Two Distinct Faces
The villa presents two contrasting façades:
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Entrance façade: Hermetic and private, protected by automatic adjustable blinds in whitened Accoya wood, shielding from sun and street views.
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Sea-facing façade: Open and transparent, defined by expansive glass panels and shaded by cantilevers and flowing curtains that imbue a Mediterranean softness.
Materiality and Tectonic Character
Sardinera House exhibits a tectonic nature, where expressive materials define its identity. White concrete poured in timber formwork creates surfaces that echo the texture of wood, establishing a dialogue with the whitened timber used throughout the project. Local stone masonry grounds the structure, linking it to the landscape. A monochromatic palette of whites produces subtle shifts in texture, unifying architecture and interiors.
Interior and Spatial Experience
The entrance unfolds through a double-height volume oriented toward the sea, immediately immersing visitors in the horizon. Daytime living spaces occupy the ground floor, where vegetation weaves between concrete walls, extending the garden into the home. Every room opens to the horizon through its own veranda.
The living room’s glass corner frames the most spectacular sea views, while upstairs bedrooms feature panoramic glass bay windows set back from the cantilevered edges, emphasizing the horizontality of the structure.
Sculptural Staircase
At the heart of the house, a sculptural staircase with translucent glass steps becomes a luminous centerpiece. By day, natural light penetrates to the basement; by night, the staircase glows like a lamp, reinforcing its role as functional sculpture.
Wellness and Luxury
The basement hosts guest rooms, a gym, sauna, dressing areas, and an indoor pool, visually linked to the outdoor pool by a longitudinal window that casts shimmering reflections between the two. This creates a poetic dialogue between interior and exterior waterscapes.
Efficiency and Sustainability
Sardinera House is not only beautiful but also efficient. It holds an A certificate for energy efficiency, achieved through geothermal wells, evacuated tube collectors, rainwater harvesting systems, and a meticulous study of sun exposure and ventilation. Integrated LED lighting reinforces sustainability while accentuating the architectural lines.
Mediterranean Garden Design
The outdoor spaces extend the architectural language into the landscape. Indigenous vegetation—olive trees, pine, citrus, and herbal plants—populate terraced gardens that reinterpret the typical Mediterranean hillside. Each zone is distinct yet unified, creating a cohesive garden that blends seamlessly with the villa.
Interior Design by Ramón Esteve
Every detail of the interior design was conceived by Ramón Esteve Estudio. Off-white polished concrete flooring runs seamlessly inside and out. Whitened Accoya wood defines ceilings and furniture, while natural stone features in bathrooms and pools. The result is an integrated design where structure, finishes, and furnishings align under one vision.
