Their Mediterranean Courtyard House Is Warmed by the Sun and Cooled by Sea Breezes

Guillem and Arantza Pujadas spent years searching Spain’s Costa Daurada for a home that matched their family’s lifestyle. With three children, they wanted a place where family life, work and their love of the outdoors could naturally coexist.

Guillem, founder of Shaka Surf Castelldefels on the Catalan coast, has built his life around the Mediterranean, and he prioritized having a daily connection to the water and the natural landscape. Arantza works as a doula, supporting women and families through pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period, and she dreamed of a peaceful home that could accommodate her practice.

Together, they imagined a residence with an edible garden where they could host friends—and where their children could grow up with room to explore. They visited plenty of houses with beautiful sea views and generous layouts, but none felt right. "We gradually realized none of them brought together everything we were looking for," says Arantza. "So we decided to build it."

The family found an unusual, L-shaped lot overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. While the southern edge offered spectacular light and coastal vistas, its narrow footprint made building a standard family home impossible without taking up most of the outdoor space.