refurbishment private property single house, sa torre majorca
this private residence – located in first line – sits on an urban plot in the south of mallorca. the existing building, dating from 2009, was completely redesigned and transformed into a family-friendly home with comparatively little structural effort. the architectural approach aimed to turn the entire property, both inside and out, into a unique and value-enhancing residence, offering a child-friendly and sustainable living environment for a young family. this also included the outdoor areas, where previously over-paved surfaces were renaturalized into a truly usable garden landscape.
at the center of the architectural concept stood a natural material not typically used in mallorca: bamboo.
thanks to its wide range of applications and excellent physical and chemical properties, bamboo proved ideal for unifying architectural design, interior design, furniture construction, and landscaping through a single material.
the versatility and durability of bamboo underpin the project’s core idea of sustainability – something of great importance to us. this made bamboo especially attractive and established it as the guiding element of the overall design for project 1706. this led to a deliberate minimalism based on reducing the number of different materials used. the goal was to achieve as much as possible with and from bamboo. the material was left largely untreated and used across almost all functional and aesthetic architectural components.
starting with the large-scale horizontal sliding elements designed for pavilion-style shading of outdoor terraces, and the vertical sliding elements for the perforated façade, through to the flexible sliding partitions implemented in the bathrooms. we also designed suspended ceilings, both indoors and outdoors, in bamboo. the red thread of this material runs through kitchen furnishings, built-in wardrobes, and all bathroom vanities, all crafted from laminated bamboo boards combined with solid surface materials. finally, a children’s bamboo maze with integrated ground lighting was planted – a “chill & adventure” zone where sustainability becomes tangible.
the original building: the existing layout included a living and dining area, several bedrooms each with en-suite bathrooms, and a large separate kitchen. the bedrooms only featured windows starting from parapet height, and the wet rooms were poorly connected to the sleeping and dressing areas. the kitchen was completely isolated from the living and dining space, without any view of the sea – a missed opportunity given the wide panorama of calvià and the bay of palma. the outdoor spaces, both facing the street and the sea, were mostly paved for low maintenance. the architecture enforced a strict separation between the street-facing and seafront sides.
the transformation: the bedrooms, porche, and front garden were visually opened up and merged with the seafront dining and living areas through a large fully glazed pivot door system. the fixed glazing was replaced with generous but operable sliding elements. this new transparency enabled a visual flow and emphasized the depth of the plot. the street-side exterior was redesigned to allow the experience of being in the front row by the sea. the bedroom windows were extended down to the floor to allow external access to each room – bringing in more light and freedom of movement.
the kitchen walls were removed with the same readiness. families spend a lot of time in the kitchen – guests always end up there – and the sea view should be part of it. thus, the already generous living and dining area was expanded to include an open american-style kitchen with a central island. the result is striking, transparent, and truly family-oriented. cooking while watching over the pool. the house became a loft. the walls between bedrooms and bathrooms were also removed and replaced with light bamboo sliding partitions and full-height glazing, creating spatial zoning rather than separation.
the mallorcan ideal of indoor-outdoor living: porche, bbq, and pool; living, relaxing, cooking, sleeping; dwelling outdoors. all of this was realized through a few but consistent interventions. the previously sealed exterior surfaces were replaced by lush tropical plantings. an oversized staircase was replaced by a barrier-free ramp. shaded outdoor seating areas were created under mature trees, along with chill-out and relaxation zones for all generations.
the infinity pool was upgraded, and the entire building services were renewed with intelligent and energy-efficient systems.
project: 1706
size: confidencial
construction area: confidencial
client: confidencial
location: sa torre, majorca
type: new refurbishment customer single private property
team (building): jle
team (interior design): jle
team (landscape): jle
responsible architects: jle
