House in Xinzo by Carbajo Barrios Arquitectos + Cenlitrosmetrocadrado

The plot is rhomboid-shaped, measuring 40 meters at its longest side and 22 meters at the short side, oriented northwest-southwest. A road along the short side connects the house to Xinzo village. The gently sloped site includes a vertical drop along the northern neighbor’s plot, while an existing auxiliary building in the northwest corner serves as storage.

Design Concept

The owners requested a flexible, multi-functional home adaptable to different uses. The new design merges open-plan living, cooking, bathing, and resting areas into a single continuous space. The original structure was refurbished for auxiliary functions such as storage and a multi-use room.

The new building features two underground spaces: one housing the building’s facilities, and the other accommodating a swimming pool. A transversal axis beneath the main volume creates a fluid entry sequence between interior and exterior spaces.

Inspired by traditional Galician architecture, the new home adopts the symmetric gable roof of one-story vernacular buildings as a formal reference, integrating the residence naturally into the landscape while asserting its own expressive identity.

Spatial Organization & Privacy

Positioned transversally to the existing structure and dominant site axis, the house forms a conceptual boundary between public and private areas. This generates a sequence of gradually private spaces, enhancing intimacy without the need for overbearing fences.

The area between the two buildings follows the traditional Galician “eira” or “curral” scheme, serving as a connecting courtyard that fosters interaction. Common rooms open fully to the exterior, while private spaces such as bedrooms and bathrooms are positioned along the perimeter, opening onto intimate inner courtyards.

Materiality & Construction

The design emphasizes humility, simplicity, and honesty, reflecting a vocabulary closer to industrial buildings than conventional homes. Despite the different eras of the two structures, both share formal sobriety, featuring solid, closed volumes without superfluous materials or decorative elements.

Inside, the home is conceived as a single continuous space, with furniture defining functional zones instead of interior partitions. Interior finishes expose raw construction materials in walls, slabs, and roofs, highlighting the dignity of what is useful and necessary.

Architecture & Photography Highlights

• Exterior: Facades, garden integration, windows, courtyards
• Interior: Open-plan living, bedrooms, kitchen, beams, handrails
• Special Features: Courtyard connections, swimming pool, underground service facilities, flexible open spaces

The House in Xinzo exemplifies a balance of tradition and contemporary living, merging Galician architectural heritage with modern open-plan design principles.

All Photographs are works of  Roi Alonso