Emilio Tuñón’s latest residential project, Stone House (aka Casa de Piedra), is not just an exercise in immaculate geometry, proportion and balance; it is also a thoughtful, site-specific piece of architecture that links to its context and natural surroundings through both design and materials.
The structure, the home for a private client in Spain’s Extremadura region, is a residential building spanning two levels; featuring the main living spaces upstairs and building services on the ground floor. The upper volume is cleverly clad in local quartzite stone, with windows framed in Extremadura granite. Located near the small town of Cáceres, the site is surrounded by picturesque landscapes, which the architects made the most of.
Each of the house’s four sides is punctuated by three openings.
Bearing Tuñón Arquitectos' signature knack for strong, classical proportions and symmetries – albeit displayed here in a fittingly domestic scale – the house is a simple box featuring three identical sides; each of which are punctuated by three square openings. These are strong connections between the life inside the house and outside.
The interiors are minimalist, designed using polished white concrete and oak wood for cladding, details and cabinetry. The internal space is organised around a grid that forms nine identical ‘cubes'. These accommodate different uses, from sitting rooms and bedrooms to the kitchen. Built-in storage and bathrooms are placed in between.
Extensive landscaping in an organic style that feels distinctive from the region's flora expands around the house, while a paved platform leads to a swimming pool; the perfect spot to sit and contemplate the residence's calm atmosphere.
The project, for a private client, makes prominent use of local stone.
The structure features dominant square openings that connect the indoors with the outdoors.
Inside, the design is fairly minimalist, featuring white concrete.
The main living spaces occupy the top - ground - level of the house.
With most of the key residential areas upstairs, the architects placed the building services on the lower level.
Bespoke oak cladding and cabinetry complement the polished concrete interior.
INFORMATION
For more information visit the Tuñón Arquitectos website
-
Cult classic ‘Teenagers in Their Bedrooms’ captures the angst of being a teenAre 1990s teens so different? Three decades after its original release, this photography book by Adrienne Salinger has been published again, by DAP
-
Step inside Pauline Karpidas’ London home, a cabinet of curiosities filled with art and design treasuresThe British collector is selling the entire contents of her art and design-filled home: take a peek before it goes under the hammer at Sotheby’s in September 2025
-
Boutique London rental development celebrates European courtyard livingLondon design and development studio Wendover unveils its newest residential project, 20 Newcourt Street, comprising nine apartments; we toured with co-founder Gabriel Chipperfield
-
Meet Ferdinand Fillod, a forgotten pioneer of prefabricated architectureHis clever flat-pack structures were 'a little like Ikea before its time.'
-
A courtyard house in northern Spain plays with classical influences and modernist formsA new courtyard house, Casa Tres Patis by Twobo Arquitectura, is a private complex that combines rich materiality and intriguing spatial alignments
-
In Santander, a cotton candy-coloured HQ is a contemporary delightSantander’s Colección ES Headquarters, a multifunctional space for art, office work, and hosting, underwent a refurbishment by Carbajo Hermanos, drawing inspiration from both travels and local context
-
This Madrid villa’s sculptural details add to its serene appealVilla 18 by Fran Silvestre Architects, one of a trilogy of new homes in La Moraleja, plays with geometry and curves – take a tour
-
This striking Spanish house makes the most of a tricky plot in a good areaA Spanish house perched on a steep slope in the leafy suburbs of Barcelona, Raúl Sánchez Architects’ Casa Magarola features colourful details, vintage designs and hidden balconies
-
This brutalist apartment in Barcelona is surprisingly soft and gentleThe renovated brutalist apartment by Cometa Architects is a raw yet gentle gem in the heart of the city
-
A brutalist house in Spain embraces its wild and tangled plotHouse X is a formidable, brutalist house structure on a semi-rural plot in central Spain, shaped by Bojaus Arquitectura to reflect the robust flora and geology of the local landscape
-
Antoni Gaudí: a guide to the architect’s magical worldCatalan creative Antoni Gaudí has been a unique figure in global architectural history; we delve into the magical world of his mesmerising creations
