Casa Toto Shows How to Make An Irregular Plot Work To Your Advantage

Casa Toto stands in the mountains of Alicante, Spain, a residential structure built on an irregular plot heavily perimetered by concrete walls. Clients Julia and Toto commissioned Grupo Aranea to design a home where their children could flourish. The team’s task was to create a structure that would balance out the monotony of Alicante’s architecture and suburban surroundings. Typical of the suburban sprawl, single-family residences known as “pepitos” have quickly taken over the flat landscape. The absence of unique components and an urban vibe in the surrounding neighborhood prompted the team to design something that would both respond to the client’s wish for a home and provide variation to the area. Through Casa Toto, the group intends to demonstrate a new way of life for the community to emulate.

The project’s most significant component is the 1200 square meter plot’s uneven shape. The design team adapted the layout to the form of the property and allowed it to define the home’s boundaries. The result was a concrete-heavy modern structure with curving and interconnected spaces that blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living. Casa Toto’s irregularly shaped borders contain a wide range of rooms and pathways. Concrete, together with glass and wood, is used to create the spaces. Patios, gardens, terraces, and household surroundings combine to create hybrid and maze-like areas. Additionally, the building contains a creative workshop and exhibition rooms where the client can host guests and present his creations.

Outlining a connection between the property’s outer and interior spaces is accomplished by opening its walls. A succession of patios organizes the various living areas, giving the house the appearance of a garden inhabited by people. Multiple pathways resembling a maze create a fun atmosphere for the clients’ children. The house is intended to evolve over time, much like a laboratory, a location of constant experimentation.

Vegetation makes the concrete structure come to life. A green vegetable garden is provided for Casa Toto where the family can harvest as they need. A wide-spaced kitchen intertwines with the garden, similar to the overall feeling of the house, where everything is related. Furthermore, rainwater collection tanks are constructed to water the property’s flora.

_{Photos courtesy of Milena Villalba.}