The grasshome | EME157

The Grasshome single-family house in Collado Mediano, Madrid is the result of a collaboration between EME157 and the construction company LUMAN, who are promoting this experimental home now on the market. Its open-plan layout is simple, spacious and filled with natural light, with no predefined rooms. It offers the essentials: a kitchen, a bathroom, a laundry area and mobile modular wardrobes, and is designed to adapt easily to the buyer’s needs. Thanks to a carefully planned pre-installation of plumbing and electrical systems, multiple layout options are possible with minimal renovation, allowing full customization to the lifestyle of its future owner.

The house sits on a plot with privileged views over the southern slope of the Sierra de Guadarrama, offering an unrivalled panorama. The steep terrain heavily influenced the design, which integrates two distinct construction approaches: one section built into the ground and another rising above it. The lower level is partially buried and constructed using reinforced concrete panels with a 20 cm core of expanded polystyrene, a system that resists earth pressure, supports the upper floor, provides high thermal insulation and eliminates thermal bridges. The upper level is constructed using a dry-build system with large-span metal trusses, generating a continuous and airy space.

The design follows principles of bioclimatic architecture, adopting passive strategies to ensure year‑round thermal comfort and energy efficiency. Large south-facing windows capture solar radiation in winter, maximize natural light and reduce energy consumption. Strategically designed overhangs block the sun in summer while allowing it in during winter. On the north façade, opaque natural cork cladding and slate on the east and west façades protect against summer heat and reduce heat loss in colder months. Bioclimatic design makes the most of local climate and resources, maximizing comfort while minimizing energy.

Pedestrian and vehicular access is via the north façade on the upper level, where the house appears as a modest gabled slate cabin that unfolds downward. A parking area occupies a platform at street level, and from there a lower platform with landscaped gardens leads to the main entrance, clad in cork. To the south, a large cantilevered concrete terrace opens to the horizon and wraps around the house.

Inside, an industrial-style open space features metal trusses and a sloping wooden ceiling, framed by expansive windows that frame the stunning views. A centrally located staircase divides the area into two zones: one side hosts the living room, kitchen and dining area, while the opposite side contains modular wardrobes, designed so this wing could easily be divided into one or two bedrooms with an en suite bathroom. The lower level features another open space with a panoramic window, a bathroom, a laundry room and access to a garden porch with a 20 m pool integrated seamlessly into the terrain.Landscape design is tailored to the hillside, using native plantings that respect the natural terrain. On the east façade, an external staircase connects the entrance to the pool area and the rest of the garden.

Photography: LUIS ASÍN, SERGIO PRADANA