3 Marías House: A Contemporary Mediterranean Courtyard Retreat by Bajet Giramé + Burckhardt

Located in the sun-drenched town of Mont-roig del Camp, Spain, the 3 Marías House by Bajet Giramé and Burckhardt reimagines the traditional Mediterranean summer residence, transforming a 1960s courtyard home into a modern, vibrant, and versatile retreat. Spanning 120 m², this renovation thoughtfully balances the historical essence of the original house with contemporary architectural interventions, creating a seamless dialogue between interior and exterior spaces. Completed in 2020, the project caters to three sisters in their thirties who sought a shared, dynamic summer home along the Mediterranean coast.

Emphasizing the Courtyard-House Concept

The design of 3 Marías House deliberately exaggerates the courtyard-house character inherent to Mediterranean architecture. Its spatial configuration is both playful and gregarious, merging the interior and exterior through a series of interconnected rooms, loggias, and patios. By retaining the pre-existing garden walls and arches, the architects created a harmonious matrix of indoor and outdoor environments. This continuity fosters a sense of openness while respecting the intimacy and shade offered by traditional Mediterranean homes.

Adaptive Interior Spaces

The pre-existing house originally emphasized closed spatiality with clearly segregated domestic areas. In contrast, the renovation introduces an open-plan layout that unites living, dining, kitchen, and loggia spaces. A steel framework integrated into window frames allows large pivoting doors to blur the boundaries between rooms, offering multifunctional spaces that adapt to different uses. The long corridor, once rigidly defined, now flows into the living area, enhancing spatial continuity and flexibility.

The façade design also explores the relationship between interior and exterior. Perforated sliding gates allow windows to remain open at night, while folding steel-framed windows maximize airflow and light. This combination of modern steel elements and traditional Mediterranean forms creates a dialogue between past and present.

Mud Topographies and Terracotta Flooring

A key feature of the house is its handcrafted Valencian terracotta flooring, which extends from the garden into the interior. This continuous surface not only unifies the home but also establishes subtle hierarchies and zones through intricate patterns. Walkways, benches, shelves, and wall claddings are all integrated into this terracotta tapestry, enhancing the sense of spatial fluidity.

Sustainable Comfort Without Air Conditioning

Sustainability and comfort are central to the house’s design. Without relying on air conditioning, the 3 Marías House maintains optimal temperatures through vernacular thermodynamic strategies. A pitched roof over a dense wall matrix provides thermal inertia, while cross-ventilation and sun protection ensure a pleasant indoor climate. The garden’s greenery further enhances humidity and ambient comfort, reducing the dominance of hard landscaping and reinforcing the Mediterranean connection to nature.

A Dynamic, Multifunctional Summer Home

In essence, 3 Marías House is a celebration of Mediterranean living, combining historical architecture with contemporary spatial experimentation. The renovation balances privacy and sociability, offering intimate niches alongside expansive, sunny courtyards. Each element: from arches and steel thresholds to terracotta pavements and verdant gardens: contributes to a home that is playful, flexible, and deeply connected to its landscape.

This project highlights the architects’ ability to merge tradition with innovation, creating a summer house that is both timeless and adaptive, ensuring comfort, functionality, and aesthetic delight.

All photographs are works of  José Hevia