Spolia's rural house in Spain glows with glass blocks and bold colors
A transformative renovation in Asturias' cider landscape balances light, color and material memory.
1Rural Memory, Modern Interventions
Cabanon Pumar is a 148-square-meter renovation by Spolia, transforming a three-story house in Asturias' mountainous region. Surrounded by apple orchards, the structure overlooks morning fogs creating a 'temporary inland sea' view. Architects preserved the building's existing character while making new interventions legible. The previously dark, compartmentalized interior became an open main floor integrating kitchen, dining and living areas.
2Light Plays with Glass Blocks
At the project's core, a curved glass-block wall organizes circulation while diffusing daylight. The translucent surface separates spaces without full isolation, casting evolving reflection patterns on floors and ceilings. At night, illuminated from within, this element becomes the house's lantern. Surrounding epoxy resin floors, pale walls and restored masonry are punctuated by colorful doors and railings.
3Layered Living
Each of the three levels serves distinct functions: The triangular attic under pitched roofs hosts a guest room marked by red supports and circular windows. On the main floor, the staircase transforms from isolated circulation into a graphic element with bright railings. The basement preserves original rough stone walls meeting blue-tiled counters, creating a space that feels both restored and intentionally unfinished.
4Strategic Chromatics
Yellow doors and railings, red structural elements, green beams and mosaic blue surfaces define functional zones. While playful, the color palette avoids turning the house into a chart—each intervention is confident enough not to disappear into the background. This approach maintains the simple rural profile with traditional tiled roofs while adding contemporary character.
5Material Memory
The project balances contemporary living with rural Asturias' material memory. Exposed rough surfaces and restored stonework don't conceal the house's age. Modern materials like glass blocks and epoxy floors dialogue with original textures. The result offers spaces that feel both renewed and deliberately 'unfinished'.
6Contextual Architecture
Spolia respects the surrounding cider landscape while large windows integrate Asturian vistas into daily life. Dynamic morning fog views combine with sunlight constantly rearranging interior atmospheres. Avoiding rural nostalgia clichés, architects developed contemporary interventions harmonious with the building's existing character.
7Functional Artistry
Colorful structural elements work as both decorative and functional architectural markers. Yellow railings emphasize stair routes while red supports reveal attic geometry. Blue mosaic surfaces demarcate kitchen areas. This approach creates a coherent whole where each design decision serves aesthetic and practical purposes.
8Non-Static Rurality
Cabanon Pumar is a house rooted among apple trees yet refusing to stand still. It preserves traditional rural architecture while adding contemporary language through glass blocks and bold colors. Spolia's approach offers not nostalgic representation but dynamic synthesis of material memory with current living practices. The project proves rural architecture isn't a frozen image.