Residential SERIES  •  Project FEATURE

Designed as a living organism in dialogue with the passing of time, Casa Galera rises on a regular lot to create an oasis of calm and conviviality.

Guided by light, vegetation, and shadows, its architecture unfolds spaces that blend with the outdoors and celebrate the intimacy of dwelling. The implantation strategy adopted by Karlen + Clemente responds with sensitivity to the immediate context. Rather than isolating the residence from the urban fabric, the project asserts its presence clearly at the front of the lot, spanning from boundary to boundary, while liberating an expansive central courtyard. This gesture not only organizes domestic life but also redefines the way the house interacts with its environment. Toward the street, Casa Galera presents itself with a reserved character. Its façade, dressed with rhythmic wooden slats, establishes a serene cadence that shields the privacy of its inhabitants. However, this controlled expression does not translate into absolute hermeticism: it acts more as a veil, mediating between the urban realm and the intimate world within.

"Surrounded by light, vegetation and noble textures, Casa Galera becomes a refuge that celebrates connection to the essential."

The true heart of the house unfolds inside, where the main living spaces open generously to the rear courtyard. Taking advantage of the northern orientation, the architects conceived a dwelling in constant relationship with natural light, filtering through glazed surfaces, overhangs, and lattices. This design fosters a gradual transition that turns the garden into a natural extension of the social areas.

On the ground floor, a longitudinal axis organizes the essential programs of the house. Living, dining, and kitchen areas are arranged fluidly, directly connected to the gallery and pool. This scheme not only enhances outdoor living but also nurtures a sense of spatial continuity that reinforces the idea of community and encounter at the heart of the home.

"Casa Galera is a work that responds to the present while projecting itself as a living space in constant dialogue with time."

On this same level, the master suite and service spaces ensure the functional autonomy of the residence. This design decision allows the home to be fully lived on the ground floor, ensuring practicality and accessibility over time. It is a forward-looking approach, conceived to accompany the different stages of family life.

The upper floor, by contrast, plays a complementary role. Housing two secondary bedrooms, it is conceived as an independent volume that adds flexibility to the program. These rooms engage with the void created by the terraces and open vistas toward the distant surroundings, offering a spatial experience that blends intimacy with amplitude.

The materiality of Casa Galera is one of the clearest expressions of its character. The combination of exposed concrete, stone, and wood unfolds with balance and restraint. Concrete conveys solidity and permanence, stone brings a tactile connection to the natural, and wood introduces warmth and rhythm. Together, these textures compose a language that invites contemplation and sensory delight.

Beyond its material and spatial resolution, Casa Galera distinguishes itself through its capacity to merge with the passage of time. Architecture here is conceived as a canvas, leaving room for changing light, shifting shadows, and surrounding vegetation to complete the atmosphere of the place. This openness to the unpredictable turns the house into a living work, one that evolves with its inhabitants and affirms its vocation for permanence and serenity.