House, lift me up so I can see the sea

We're right on the beach, but the Chameleon Natural Park in Chipiona only allows us to see the sea from a high ladder.

Hence the main decision... to place the living room and kitchen on the first floor, framing the Atlantic as if it were a Jiménez Aranda marina.

But there was a bigger challenge. The regulations only allowed us to build 108 square meters on the ground and first floors. The investment was unviable. The land was so expensive that a social housing unit was barely available.

Here, Justo and I had to use our skills and a lot of imagination. We made the municipal architect see that the world we imagined complied with the ordinances. Thanks to this, we managed to make the perception of the spaces twice as large as what was apparently possible.

(Note: Always try to involve municipal officials in the project. If you clearly and passionately demonstrate your intentions, you will find their support.)

At the same time, we would take advantage of the available underground space, creating a spacious and bright world that would look more like a ground floor.

Buried architecture, not dark and cramped, but bright, spacious, and connected to its surroundings... a fascinating topic we could talk about for so long.