Project · New build · Detached house · Cambrils (Tarragona)

Classic-style detached house in Cambrils: classical language and high energy efficiency

Design of a 285 m² detached house in Cambrils. A two-storey home with very generous rooms, façades inspired by classical architecture, and an envelope and building services that achieve an A energy rating.

Garden façade of the classic-style house in Cambrils, with an arched portico and balustrade

Garden façade: an arched portico on the ground floor and a balustraded terrace on the upper floor.

285 m²

Built area
On the ground and upper floors, with very spacious rooms.

A

Energy rating
A house with a classical language and today’s performance.

€380,000

Construction budget
Complete construction of the house.

Aerothermal

Heating and cooling
Cooling, heating and hot water from a high-efficiency heat pump.

The brief

A spacious house with classical references

The clients wanted a detached house in Cambrils with very generous main rooms and an image inspired by classical architecture. The siting of the house on the plot was shaped by the planning regulations and by the clients’ wish to use all the permitted floor area.

The challenge was twofold: to translate the classical language rigorously to the façades and interiors, and to do so with contemporary, efficient and comfortable construction. The result is a two-storey house that combines porticos, balustrades and mouldings with continuous insulation and high-efficiency systems.

Project data

  • Location: Cambrils (Tarragona)

  • Client: private

  • Year: 2014

  • Area: 285 m²

  • Construction budget: €380,000

  • Type: two-storey detached house

  • Energy rating: A

  • Architects: Pau Martínez and Sergio Sanz, Kaitek

Interiors

Spacious rooms and classical motifs

Columns, mouldings and coffered ceilings in the main rooms.

The classical references continue inside: Ionic columns framing the living room, coffered ceilings, mouldings and skirting. The main rooms open onto the garden through large windows and French doors which, on the upper floor, lead to a balustraded terrace above the ground-floor portico.

Drawings

Plans, elevations and sections

A well-ordered plan that makes the most of the plot’s permitted floor area.

Ground floor plan of the classic-style house in Cambrils
Upper floor plan of the classic-style house in Cambrils

Ground floor plan, showing the relationship with the garden, and upper floor plan.

Elevation of the classic-style house in Cambrils
Side elevation of the classic-style house in Cambrils

Elevations of the house.

Section of the classic-style house in Cambrils
Long section of the classic-style house in Cambrils

Sections of the house.

Construction and energy

Classical language, today’s performance

The technical decisions behind the A energy rating.

External insulation

8 cm of external thermal insulation on the façades, eliminating thermal bridges.

Insulated linings

An extra 5 cm of insulation in the internal wall linings to reinforce the envelope.

Highly insulated roof

20 cm of thermal insulation on the roof, the element most exposed to the summer sun.

Timber louvred shutters

They protect the glazing from the outside: letting the sun in during winter and blocking it in summer.

Heat-recovery ventilation

Ducted, filtered ventilation with heat recovery, so no energy is lost when airing the house.

Aerothermal heat pump

Air-based heating and cooling with a high-efficiency heat pump that also provides hot water.

To achieve spacious rooms and generous spans, the structure combines reinforced concrete and steel columns with a concrete waffle slab. This frees the plan from load-bearing walls and allows the spaces to be organised freely, while the façades keep the rhythm and proportions of the classical language.

Frequently asked questions

Classic-style, energy-efficient houses

Yes. The classical language is a matter of composition and finishes; efficiency depends on the envelope and the building services. In this house, continuous insulation, solar protection and an aerothermal heat pump achieve an A energy rating.

It is a heat pump system that draws energy from the outdoor air to provide heating, cooling and hot water with very low electricity use. It is one of the most efficient solutions for a detached house.

Building all the floor area that the planning regulations allow on the plot. To achieve it, parameters such as site coverage, heights and setbacks from the boundaries must be studied carefully before designing.

It renews the air in the house continuously and filters it, using the heat from the outgoing air to warm the incoming air. This ventilates the house without wasting energy and improves indoor air quality.

Yes. We design contemporary homes as well as classic or traditional ones, always with up-to-date construction and energy efficiency standards.

Ready to build the house you have in mind?

Tell us what kind of house you would like and what your plot is like, and we will help you make it happen with efficiency in mind.