An Architect Perches His Family Home High on a Catalonian Cliffside
To make the most of a steep plot with stunning views of the Balearic Sea, Mesura partner Benjamín Iborra Wickstead builds down instead of up.
To make the most of a steep plot with stunning views of the Balearic Sea, Mesura partner Benjamín Iborra Wickstead builds down instead of up.
Nestled between the cliffs of Catalonia and the sea, Alella is a popular commuter town on the outskirts of Barcelona. Its views and vistas are hard to beat, which might explain why the area is peppered with luxury properties and vacation homes peeking out at the Balearic from atop the Catalan Coastal Range. In the town itself, the streets are busy with locals and vacationers alike. But it’s high in the cliffs that Benjamín Iborra Wicksteed and Alicia Andres Fernandez carved out a little slice of peace and quiet for their young family.
Architect Benjamín Iborra Wicksteed and his partner, Alicia Andres Fernandez, purchased a plot of land on the cliffs of Catalonia in 2019 and set about building Casa Dosmurs, a family home spread across two floors.
Photo by Maxime Delvaux
Originally from Catalonia and Granada respectively, Benjamín and Alicia met during university on an exchange year in Dublin. When they returned to Barcelona to finish their studies, the couple fell in love with the city, and each other. They married in 2018, and began searching for a home to call their own.
After about a year of searching for an inner-city flat to purchase, the couple realized they’d been priced out of property in Barcelona itself. But Benjamín is a trained architect and a partner at design and architecture firm Mesura, so the couple began scouring the city’s perimeter for a plot on which they could build their home. As it turns out, Alella was just within their radius.
The broad balcony on the lower level of Casa Dosmurs is sheltered by the overhang of the roof, which limits the amount of direct sunlight that enters the house on hot summer days.
Photo by Maxime Delvaux
"When we came to see the plot, we totally fell in love with it because of the views," Benjamín says. It wasn’t an easy sell, though—the couple missed their original showing, and they weren’t impressed with the photos they found online anyway. But when the realtor later called to ask why they hadn’t shown up to their appointment, they decided to take a closer look at the land for themselves. When they arrived, it was love at first sight.
Casa Dosmurs is decorated sparsely with furniture by friends and local designers. The couple also collect prints from Benjamín’s brother, who works as a photographer.
Photo by Maxime Delvaux
See the full story on Dwell.com: An Architect Perches His Family Home High on a Catalonian Cliffside
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