d+a | Issue 120 • 2021

/ ABODE / 80 S ituated in the geographic heart of Ibiza in Spain, the House of Three Trees by Gallardo Llopis Arquitectos is a family home in the village of Santa Gertrudis. It is built on a practically flat plot with a markedly longitudinal proportion, where crossed views and little privacy between neighbouring dwellings determine the introverted nature of this project. “The architecture must produce its own interior landscape to which it can be opened,” explains lead architect Carlos Gallardo Llopis. “This is achieved by suspended bodies that configure the exterior spaces, providing visual privacy as well as solar protection, thanks to the control of the shadows cast. “The exterior space, diaphanous and uninterrupted, is virtually delimited by the vigorous embrace of the cantilevered patios.” The abstract volume is fragmented by voids and openings that incorporate three elegant trees into the interior. Defining the edges of the construction, gravity-defying patios open to the sky and control the views from the house to the exterior, drawing the gaze towards the architecture itself. Chosen according to the space and scale of the terrace it occupies, the sculptural presence of the three trees creates strong visual focal points. Surrounded by lush lawns, a tall cypress establishes a strong vertical character at the entrance, while the gnarled and ancient olive tree is a magnetic contemplative piece adjacent to living and dining areas. A graceful willow has been planted close to the water, contributing to the tranquil setting by the pool. TRADITION AND CONTEMPORANEITY The quadrangular white façade of the home evokes the austerity of the Ibizan finca, the vernacular architecture of the island. Dating back two thousand years to Phoenician settlers, these rural houses are composed of abstract cubic modules with 02 03