Is wood the future of construction?
The history etched into Spain's wooden houses has many lessons to teach us about the role of wood in creating everything from light-weight and mobile modular homes to interior and exterior finishes. What's more, these lessons are not limited to new constructions. They apply to everything from furniture to remodels.
House of Would / Elii
Location: Pedrezuela
Year built: 2011
"The house is built around a central patio with seven pre-fabricated and cross-laminated wooden modules that make up the principal structure. Each module is dedicated to a distinct domestic purpose. What's more, the home's layout and scale allow it to be altered according to the future needs of its inhabitants."
Wood Studio House / Dom Architects
Location: Sant Cugat del Vallès
Year built: 2015
"The process of creating pre-fabricated wooden materials in architecture is ecologically responsible, mainly because wood is both reusable, recyclable and easy to utilize. The Wood Studio House is made entirely from a red pine framework and was pre-fabricated before being transported and assembled on site, making for an expedient and effective housing solution.
Two Cork Houses / Lopez Rivera
Location: Girona
Year built: 2016
"The structure, built using cross-laminated Monterrey Pine, also incorporates two 50mm layers of cork. The first layer, applied mechanically before assembly, adheres to the wood while the second layer was applied once the house was assembled. The combination of cork and wood facilitates vapor diffusion."
097 • Yojigen Poketto / elii
Location: Madrid
Year built: 2017
"Openings in the home's built-in furniture widen the overall perspective of the space, especially when seen from the above. Different sections of the space are outfitted with distinct elements to fulfill a specific purpose. The walls of the main area are brightly colored to optimize the space's natural light. (...) The sleeping area has wooden details as well as a ceiling projector that can be operated from the bed.
Plywood House / SMS Architects
Location: Palma de Mallorca
Year built: 2017
"The need to expand a one-floor living space while maintaining the structural support calls for a light-weight solution such as wood. We begin with an autonomous structure centered on a “base” and then create a pre-fabricated wooden system, starting with 244 x 122 cm plywood panels made from poplar. Here, the structure gives us the opportunity to explore and experiment with a pre-fabricated wooden structural system that writes its own instruction manual. By combining this system's elements with the CNC's, this system provides a starting point that can be reproduced in other building projects."
Wooden House / Un Estudio Propio
Location: Puerto Lumbreras
Year: 2018
"The solution was quite mathematical in nature due to the age of the original structure. The new room had to weigh exactly the same as the tile roof that it replaced. This led us to design a light timber frame structure and also facilitated the process since the walls would be assembled in a workshop and later installed on the existing floor. We only needed to block off the street for a week to assemble the structure. This turned out to be very helpful since the access street was very narrow.."
Casa en La Floresta / ARQUITECTURA-G
Location: Floresta
Year: 2018
"The interior of the house is characterized by its simplicity, and it is the structure itself that emphasizes the main interior finishes, with untreated wood for the walls and varnished wood for the floor. The idea is that the outside becomes a part of the inside through the light reflecting through the windows. (...) The house is a wooden box covered with a steel sheet placed on a simple concrete base."
Levitt House in La Moraleja / CSO architects
Location: Madrid
Year: 2018
"The windows capture warmth during the winter and allow cross-ventilation in the summer. For full control of light, wooden shutters have been installed to guarantee the privacy and safety of the inhabitants. Lastly, everything in the home is made of wood, a sustainable material.."
* These texts are descriptions given by each project's author.
- See more wooden houses in Spain and check out our list of the best articles on wood.
