La Ferme Residence: Innovative Family Home in Plencia, Spain by Tenka Arkitektura

La Ferme Residence, designed by Tenka Arkitektura in 2021, is a striking example of contemporary residential architecture in Plencia, Spain. This 250 m² single-family home seamlessly blends thoughtful site integration, sustainable materials, and refined minimalist aesthetics, creating a residence that is both functional and visually captivating.

Site and Context: Harmonizing with the Landscape

Built on a compact plot defined by a low-density housing development plan, La Ferme Residence responds to a challenging 4-meter north-south slope. The client’s requirement for the house and garden to share the same level became a fundamental principle, guiding the architectural concept and spatial organization. Careful planning ensured the home integrates naturally with the surrounding topography, avoiding excessive excavation or steep pedestrian access.

A compressed brick plinth was designed with a strategic setback, absorbing the slope while satisfying urban planning regulations. This sturdy base supports a lightweight wooden box, which emerges with subtle elegance, establishing the house’s visual prominence from the street while framing distant landscape views. The cantilevered wooden volume cleverly shelters the porch and defines a direct relationship between the entrance and dining area.

Architectural Design: Functionality Across Three Levels

La Ferme Residence organizes its functional program across three levels. The intermediate floor serves as the daytime living zone, connecting fluidly with the garden. The upper level hosts private bedrooms, offering panoramic vistas of the surrounding landscape. The basement accommodates service areas and a multipurpose space naturally illuminated by a sunken patio, which maintains visual connectivity with the entrance.

This careful vertical separation enhances both privacy and interaction with natural light, ensuring each space benefits from optimal daylight exposure and scenic orientation.

Materials and Construction: Lightweight Elegance Meets Durability

The house presents a simple, straightforward façade to the street, while opening generously to capture natural light inside. The wooden box contrasts with the traditional load-bearing brick plinth, showcasing a prefabricated lightweight timber frame system. Assembled onsite using crane-assisted installation, the floating box demonstrates precision in tectonic construction and modern prefabrication techniques.

The charred wood façade, crafted from European Larch (Larix Decidua Mill.), follows the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban technique. Each board is charred, planed, and treated with a translucent protective layer, highlighting natural summer rings while providing enhanced durability in the maritime climate. This meticulous craftsmanship, executed by skilled carpenters, ensures longevity and a refined, textured aesthetic.

Sustainable Design: Craftsmanship and Environmental Responsiveness

From its sensitive site planning to its lightweight timber structure and durable wood cladding, La Ferme Residence exemplifies sustainable residential architecture. The house’s design reduces environmental impact through minimal excavation, natural lighting strategies, and the use of long-lasting, low-maintenance materials. By combining traditional techniques with contemporary design, the residence achieves a timeless yet modern appeal.