- Architecture & development
Surrounded by a landscape of olive trees, away from nearby urban centres, you will find Casa Cruz, designed by the architectural firm Jiménez & Linares. The boundaries of the plot merge into Aljarafe, the region of Seville, Spain where the house is located.
Founded in 2017, Studio Jiménez & Linares looks to the past to build the future. That is why they have already won first prize twice in the international competition RHDriehaus. This is a recognition that distinguishes architects who strive to restore historical forms and the know-how of traditional architecture. 
The outer shell of the house, a two-storey white cylinder, is interrupted by a cross-shaped piece, which connects the opposing façades and creates transparency towards the four orientations. Furthermore, the central space is extended in height by a double height, connected to the upper gallery preceding the bedrooms. An axis provides access and connects the living room, which occupies a central position under the double height, together with the garden and the swimming pool. The volume created by the double height serves to enlarge the swimming pool, thus maintaining the spatial proportions on the outside of the house. On the other axis, the kitchen and dining room are situated as more restricted spaces, yet directly connected to the living room.
An axis provides access and connects the living room, which occupies a central position under the double height.
The house has a functional focus. The service areas and the communication core are relegated to solid corners, in which some of the custom-made furniture is also housed. The central space remains the meeting point of the house. On the first floor, the bedrooms and the space for flexible use are developed along the perimeter, connected by the gallery that extends into the double height. The material palette is based on the continuous travertine floor, interrupted only by a white marble pavement that coincides with the double height space. The use of wood in the kitchen and on the shelves in the dining room accompanies the rest of the furniture and creates a contrast with the rest of the walls. This atypical house is a project that the studio can certainly be proud of and one that makes us look forward to future works by Jiménez & Linares. 
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Images courtesy of Jimenez & Linares