Casa del Nogal is a minimal home located in Ávila, Spain, designed by Raúl Almenara.
The project is located in full communion with nature, in an old orchard surrounded by a granite stone wall where walnut trees have always thrived. As part of the design, the house becomes a large curved block with a stone character, with an interior carved from the same stone to accommodate domestic spaces.
Walls, doors, and roof have all been treated equally. Each surface is covered with the same material in order to give continuity to the volume, thereby creating the impression of solidity. The roof takes on the vernacular language of the surroundings, sloping only in such a way that it sculpts the solid on its upper surface, facing it from both the outside and the inside, thus giving rise to a large pitched roof.
In the interior of the house, three large openings create an open space that is filled with light; the first opening, around which the house revolves, overlooks the walnut garden. The glass is a single piece of large dimensions, curved especially for the house, and is made by hand in a single piece. There is a second opening to the front landscape that overlooks the transitional neighborhood. Lastly, the third large opening, composed of a multitude of windows, offers a view of the night sky. As a result, you are able to gaze at the stars as you fall asleep. The rest of the façade is completely opaque, preventing the residents from being connected to the urban environment in order to establish a strategic relationship with nature.
