Casa Balma Murada by Mesura
Casa Balma Murada is a house in Spain by Mesura, shaped by wind, rock, and a site at the edge of a natural reserve. Rather than impose a form, the project reads the terrain closely and builds from it, using local stone and traditional methods to tie interior life to the landscape.
About Casa Balma Murada
Casa Balma Murada is conceived as an architecture of response rather than imposition. Located at the edge of a natural reserve, the house engages strong wind and the irregular geometry of the terrain through local materials and traditional construction techniques, establishing a direct relationship between architecture and place.
The project begins with a close reading of its context: markedly rocky ground, constant wind exposure, and a building tradition based on the direct use of local resources. These conditions define the architecture from the outset and lead to stone as the structuring material of the construction system.
All perimeter walls are built with KM0 stone extracted from the plot itself during the garage excavation. What is removed from the ground to make room for the building becomes the substance of its construction, reinforcing continuity between land, material, and architecture.
The walls are conceived as self-supporting elements, built with traditional stone construction techniques and material sourced from the immediate surroundings. The system accepts the inherent irregularity of stone, allowing for massive, stratified walls that work primarily through gravity.
This method helps the house adapt to ground movement and supports natural water drainage. Stone also establishes continuity with agricultural terraces and historic Mediterranean structures, reduces environmental impact, and reinforces the building’s physical and cultural rootedness. The house does not impose itself on the site; it settles into the territory through its own matter.
The façade follows the natural geometry of the topography and existing rocks, adapting to the relief and breaking apart to create multiple orientations and views. Each interior room forms a specific relationship with its surroundings, opening selectively toward the natural park, the sea, or the nearby village.
In response to persistent wind exposure, the house relies on mass, wall thickness, and volumetric geometry. The stone walls provide thermal inertia and climatic protection, while the fragmented perimeter encourages natural air circulation. Designed as a single-storey volume in accordance with local regulations, the house balances enclosure and openness, with stone acting as a mediator between interior rooms and landscape.
Inside, the tone shifts to an essential Mediterranean language. Light, continuity, and calm shape the domestic atmosphere, and the contrast between the tectonic exterior and the bright, restrained interior sharpens the sense of refuge. The transition from landscape to dwelling feels measured and direct.
The access sequence deepens that connection to the terrain. Daily entry occurs through the garage embedded in the ground from which the stone is extracted, while the main entrance unfolds as a gradual ascent through the rocky landscape. At the upper level, the terrace and pool open to views on both sides of the house, creating an exterior room fully integrated within the natural reserve.
Casa Balma Murada brings together observation of place and careful use of available resources. Defined by stone and traditional construction knowledge, the project forms a house that remains coherent with its physical and cultural context.
Photography by Rory Gardiner
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