MDN House By Nook Architects + Amomicasa

Nestled within the rural landscape of El Alto Penedés, Spain, MDN House is a thoughtfully designed residential renovation that reflects a contemporary shift toward slower living, remote work, and deeper connections with nature. Designed collaboratively by Nook Architects and Amomicasa, the project reimagines domestic life through sustainable construction, spatial generosity, and material honesty.

A Rural Relocation Rooted in Lifestyle

Surrounded by forests, vineyards, and open fields, the Penedés region has experienced renewed vitality in recent years, partly driven by progressive educational initiatives and families seeking alternatives to dense urban living. The owners of MDN House embraced this transformation, leaving the city behind to telework and raise their family in a healthier, nature-oriented environment. Their vision prioritized spatial quality over built area, environmental responsibility, and flexibility for evolving family needs.

Urban Constraints, Architectural Opportunity

The project combines two plots originally designated for terraced housing. By consolidating them into a single-family residence with three façades, the architects achieved greater spatial openness, improved daylight, and increased distance from neighboring buildings. Municipal regulations required full consolidation of the corner plot, resulting in a secondary volume that houses a garage while reinforcing the urban edge.

Spatial Organization and Sectional Richness

MDN House is organized across three levels, with only the ground floor occupying the full footprint. The two upper floors step back progressively, creating a series of tiered spaces that enhance cross-ventilation, visual connections, and vertical openness. A triple-height central space acts as the social heart of the home, ensuring constant visual and spatial continuity. Privacy increases with elevation, yet the sense of family cohesion remains intact.

Sustainable Construction and Passive Comfort

Sustainability is integral to the project’s design and construction. The ground floor is built with a concrete baseboard and thermally insulating clay blocks, while the upper floors and sloped roof employ CLT (cross-laminated timber) panels in dry construction. Thick insulation layers eliminate thermal bridges, enabling efficient temperature regulation through natural cross-ventilation, external roller blinds, and underfloor heating on the ground level.

Material Honesty and Interior Expression

Interior finishes celebrate the building’s structure and materials. Concrete slabs remain exposed on the ground floor, while the warmth of the timber structure defines the upper levels. All metal elements: including columns, railings, trims, and exposed conduits, are treated with copper finishes, lending cohesion and subtle character. Wall coverings are limited to wet areas, where white tiles with terracotta grout reinforce the project’s restrained, earthy palette.

Flexible Living for the Future

While the exterior adopts a traditional volumetric language that preserves privacy, the interior reveals a rich, adaptable spatial experience. Rooms are designed to evolve over time, easily accommodating functions such as bedrooms, workspaces, play areas, studios, reading corners, and communal living spaces. This flexibility ensures that MDN House can grow and adapt alongside its inhabitants.

A Contemporary Model of Rural Living

MDN House stands as a compelling example of sustainable residential renovation in Spain, merging timber architecture, passive design strategies, and human-centered planning. Rooted in its landscape and community, the house offers a resilient framework for modern family life: quietly efficient, spatially generous, and deeply connected to its surroundings.