This upside down concrete pyramid is one of 12 ‘Solo House’ projects located in Matarraña, a mountainous area in the eastern part of Spain. That broader project is an attempt by French developer Christian Bourdais with the aim to populate the landscape with small resort-style dwellings. Tokyo-based architecture firm TNA, led by Makoto Takei and Chie Nabeshima, now proposed a plan based on Bourdais’ example. The structures aesthetic is essentially an upside down concrete pyramid that has been partially sunken into the rural terrain. Large rectangular apertures provide bright rooms, flooded with daylight, while internal living spaces are organized around a series of mezzanines or platforms, set at different heights. Due to the sloping topography, guests enter at the dwelling’s intermediate storey, an elevated platform that overlooks the dining area below. At the lower level, a large window offers wonderful views of the surrounding forest, while a passageway provides access to the kitchen. Three bedrooms are joined by a lounge at the larger uppermost story, connected to a centrally positioned swimming pool. Exterior renderings of the project show an earlier design concept, with a pool adjacent to the property also embedded into the landscape.

All images © TNA