Award-winning architect Álvaro Sánchez de Miguel created this next-generation country home in pursuit of a new kind of refuge, an affordable residence with a social conscience, one built with respect for the environment using sustainable local materials in a design that is at once humble and contemporary, consistent with a more humane lifestyle aligned with nature and rooted in simple, rural, family values.

Created to be sustainable, budget-conscious, and surrounded by green space and nature, this vacation home rental in Spain cuts a new figure for contemporary rural living. The house, one of 84 similar refuges, is set in the hills immediately outside of Salamanca, constructed by local crews using affordable regional materials such as Spanish steel, ceramics and wood, and built according to traditional rural building methods. The home is also furnished in great part with the work of local artisans. Behind the home’s construction was the idea of creating a new kind of refuge—a next generation getaway for full time or vacation living, for singles, couples or families, that is unpretentious and impactful, with a deep focus on environmental, economic and social sustainability, and a simpler way of life.

The brainchild and creative endeavor of Salamanca native architect Álvaro Sánchez de Miguel, recipient of the 2021 Master Architecture Masterprize for Small Architecture for the design, the refuge/residence pays homage to the tiny house and van life movements’ focus on versatility of space and ingenuity in design. The natural world is integral to the home, which is a compact enclosed volume with a sizeable porch that gives the structure an indoor/outdoor setting. 

Created to be an open space, with little to no interior partitions, the enclosed volume is versatile and spare, with panoramic views. The small-scale space incorporates an open-plan concept that “favors personal family relationships". Within the singular volume, “rooms” are interconnected and created by their use. Modular beds are built into a squared space together lining the walls, with storage underneath. Showers have both internal and outside access for a feeling of spaciousness, and the kitchen area opens out to the patio, where an outdoor barbecue and dining zone extend the living area, and a small storage space was made for bicycles. Interiors are unsurprisingly unadorned, and the home’s geometric exterior is finished in a local aggregate.

AROUND

Located on a hill crest at 1,000 meters above sea level, this vacation home rental in Spain is only 20 kilometers from Salamanca, one of the country's most visited cities, known for its vibrant student scene, hearty gastronomy, and unique architecture and culture. The home is built within a stand of oak trees, in the natural area known as Cuatro Calzadas. Built as a place to work, rest and play unencumbered by pretentions in a wild place that invites connection to nature, the home is one of 84 habitations. 

The region surrounding Salamanca is known for its vineyards, villages, and rugged castles, and several small towns are considered among Spain’s most picturesque, including the timber-framed village of La Alberca, Ciudad Rodrigo with its central Plaza Mayor that doubles as a bullfighting ring in season, and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ávila, with its cobbled streets and medieval walls. 

Nature is abundant in the region of Castillo y Leon, with natural parks for hiking and more serious trekking, birdwatching in the Lagunas de Villafàfila, and the UNESCO biosphere reserve near La Alberca. Wine lovers shouldn’t miss roaming the nearby Ribero del Duero appellation or the Golden Mile, a section of wine country along the Duero river revered for its ancient Vino de la Tierra tradition dating back to Roman times.

LOCATION

Buenavista, Salamanca, Spain. Nearest airport: Salamanca

BEST TIME TO VISIT: June to October