THE PLEATED HOUSE | Gallardo Llopis Arquitectos

The well-established Mas Camarena residential development, located 4 km south of Bétera and 12 km northeast of Valencia, is home to this single-family dwelling called "La casa plisada" (The Pleated House). It is a project in which the interplay of surfaces, volumes and overlapping planes articulates an architecture marked by the search for intimacy, balance and formal harmony. The house is built on a plot with a complex geometry and a very irregular perimeter, further conditioned by the existence of a single access point, both pedestrian and vehicular, a circumstance that underpins the fundamental decisions of the project.

La casa plisada takes its name from the architectural concept that articulates the interplay of shapes and volumes that define it. The house is conceived as a slender, continuous element that folds and unfolds upon itself, embracing the spaces it forms through each fold.
This system of solid pleated sheets generates a rhythmic sequence that gives rise to interiors that are partly hidden and partly open, spaces that hint at themselves and then retreat, that open and close, constructing an architecture in constant dialogue between fullness and emptiness.

Between the interlocking undulating and overlapping surfaces, the interior spaces unfold freely and fluidly, promoting constant visual connections and a continuous reading of the different levels of the home. These transverse and longitudinal connections multiply the visual escapes, generating skewed views between rooms, patios, terraces and gardens located at different levels, thus configuring a changing, dynamic interior landscape that is in constant transformation throughout the route.

Given that the plot has a single access point from the public road, the main objective of the project is to define two clearly differentiated routes: one for vehicular traffic and the other exclusively for pedestrians. Both routes are organised independently, accompanied by
vegetation arranged along the east-west axis, which acts as a visual filter and prevents interference between the different accesses, reinforcing privacy from the first contact with the house. Taking advantage of the unique geometric characteristics of the plot, the road route is limited to driving to an intermediate point where the covered parking area is located, thus freeing the rest of the site from the presence of vehicles. In contrast, the pedestrian access continues to the heart of the plot, where the main entrance hall of the house is located, emphasising a more leisurely and progressive route towards the interior.

The pedestrian access route and the built volume converge transversally. At this point, the façade wall is fragmented and opens up to give way to the entrance hall, designed as an open-plan, central space where all the interior routes of the house converge. In this area, the staircase emerges as the main feature, a sculptural piece that unfolds sinuously and connects all the levels of the house vertically.
Next to the entrance area and the car park, an open courtyard below ground level houses the space for the installations. This solution allows these technical uses to be integrated without visual impact on the landscaped area, while ensuring accessibility for necessary maintenance and conservation tasks.

One of the fundamental constraints of the project was the need to ensure the privacy and intimacy of the inhabitants, given the proximity of other adjacent buildings. In this sense, the façade plays a decisive role as the physical boundary of the dwelling and as the main element protecting the interior spaces from the exterior. The decision was therefore made to develop a solid, practically blind façade, avoiding large openings in order to preserve domestic privacy.
This control of privacy is complemented by careful management of the views, so that each room enjoys a specific orientation without unwanted interference. In this scheme, the master bedroom is provided with its own outdoor space, conceived as an extension of the
private sphere, protected and isolated from the immediate surroundings.

In contrast, the façades that open onto the landscaped areas of the plot itself are constructed from large glazed planes, blurring the boundary between interior and exterior. This openness favours uninterrupted spatial continuity and enhances the predominant northsouth axis, with solid side walls and more ethereal enclosures at the ends.

Enrich the space with natural lightt and the creation of cross views in the heart of the home are key aspects of the project. To achieve this, a large landscaped courtyard has been designed that opens onto the green corridor to the east, allowing light to flood the interior spaces and creating direct views of the treetops of the Paseo Escondido. The main rooms of the day area are organised around this courtyard, establishing almost cloistered routes that maintain permanent contact with the landscaped outdoor space. This constant relationship reinforces the feeling of depth and perceptively expands the boundaries of the home.

The south-facing aspect is reserved for the main outdoor spaces of the house, which are connected both visually and functionally to the most representative rooms of the programme. The living room, dining room and kitchen enjoy clear autonomy, each occupying their own
outdoor areas that ultimately converge on large terraces around the swimming pool, always seeking the best conditions for sunlight and protection.