House in Ontinyent by Borja García Studio, Spain
![Pool with trees lining one side](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/b3RyE8GoFk3SsTgTajbhj8-415-80.jpeg)
The heart of the project is a large open living space located on the ground floor. Harnessing the building's history and past life as a factory, the architects created bold open spaces using the existing height, complemented by its elegant interiors
Created for José Antonio Gandía Blasco, president of outdoor furniture manufacture Gandia Blasco, the space serves as both his home and office
The largely white interior is punctuated by muted greys and the occasional pop of considered colour. The living room plays host to a vertical mural offering a visual overview of the history of Blasco's company
A sculptural staircase directs visitors throughout the five remaining upper and lower levels
The studied yet simple use of uncluttered space links each room
The materials used throughout the house were kept in their organic state, accentuated by an abundance of bright natural light
Concrete plays a prominent role, giving the house its robust personality
'For us concrete is architecture, structure and expression,' says the architect
An all-white concrete pool sits within a classically-landscaped outdoor area
From above, the turquoise pool provides a rare splash of colour under the Valencian sun, while the concrete steps echo the architectural details within the home
Clarity of design prevails throughout, ensuring the house speaks of the same values and aesthetics as the client's business
Height and light play a key part in creating the open, airy volumes that define the character of this project
Borja García are known for their 'naked and honest' use of materials, here consolidated by the emphasis on white across the project
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Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
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