Villa VDSC on the Cliff: Coastal Views Shape a Spanish Retreat Home
Villa VDSC rises on a steep rocky plot in Málaga, Spain, where A-Plus Villas shapes a house around a commanding Algarrobo tree and expansive Mediterranean views. The villa threads interior rooms, terraces, and a pool between rock and horizon so that everyday life stays closely tuned to the changing city skyline and the light over the sea.
The house steps up from the steep ground, wrapping itself around a six-meter-high rock and the Algarrobo tree rooted at its summit. Sun pours across the terraces before sliding over the glazed façade toward the Mediterranean and the city below.
This is a house in Málaga by A-Plus Villas, arranged as stacked levels on a sharply sloping plot with a rock outcrop as its anchor. The layout follows a clear vertical program—underground wine bar, living level, and upper rooms—yet the real constant is orientation toward the coast, the hills, and the pine forest. Every move responds to views, sunlight, and the need to keep the tree and rock intact as living parts of the composition.
Stacked Program On Slope
Underground, the villa tucks a wine bar, laundry, and technical room into the base of the hill. This lower level still maintains a connection to daylit life above through a window looking into the pool, so water and moving light become the backdrop to the bar. At ground level, the entrance leads directly to a living room with kitchen and storage, forming a main social floor where interior and terrace wrap around the rock.
The first floor carries the quieter rooms—two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a multipurpose room arranged to profit from the higher vantage point. Each level builds on the previous one, climbing up the terrain while staying tied to the original rock and tree rather than erasing them. Vertical organization keeps technical zones low and daily living closer to the views and changing sky.
Views In Every Direction
Fully glazed façades pull wide panoramas of Málaga and the Mediterranean Sea into nearly every primary room. Long sightlines become a constant companion, from city lights at night to the bright horizon line by day. The kitchen sets up a different kind of view through a horizontal window that tracks the surrounding pine forest, turning meal preparation toward trunks, branches, and filtered light.
Higher up, the multipurpose room opens toward the hills of the Montes de Málaga national park, giving that level a distinct, inland orientation. Bedrooms lean toward the city again, with the master room adjoining a balcony aimed at Málaga, reinforcing the daily connection to urban life below. Throughout, each room carries a specific visual anchor rather than a generic outlook.
Terraces As Outdoor Rooms
Outside, daily routines spill onto a sequence of terraces, balconies, and small courts tuned to different times of day. Adjacent to the living area, a main terrace unfolds around the rock, letting people move close to the Algarrobo tree and the cliff face while remaining open to the sea. A balcony hanging from the kitchen collects the morning sun through an opening cut into the east façade, giving breakfast a direct connection to early light.
By the multipurpose room, a shaded terrace looks toward the hills, setting up a calmer, more inward-oriented outdoor place. The master bedroom extends onto its own balcony facing the city, reserving a private ledge for evening air and night views. Parking, a bicycle shed, poolhouse, terrace, and pool complete the exterior program, tying everyday practical needs to the same stepped terrain.
Shade, Glazing And Climate
Large glass surfaces demand careful control of southern light, so external sun protection screens line the windows. These elements temper heat gain while preserving long views and a sense of openness across the rooms. A generous roof cantilever throws shade over the Algarrobo tree and rock, protecting both from harsh midday sun and binding them visually to the architecture.
Every room has its own outdoor extension, which helps modulate indoor climate through cross-ventilation and shaded retreat. The pool window that lights the underground wine bar also softens that level with a cooler, aquatic glow. In daily use, the house reads as a series of vantage points and microclimates, each tuned to a specific orientation, a pattern of sun, and a distinct piece of Málaga’s surrounding landscape.
From the terraces that trace the rock to the balconies facing hills, forest, and sea, Villa VDSC turns its steep site into a layered way of living. Light, shade, and view work in tandem, giving each level a clear role. The house holds its ground on the slope while staying deeply tied to the wider terrain and the Mediterranean horizon.
Photography courtesy of A-Plus Villas
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