Project: Pool with a House
Architecture: Serrano + Baquero Arquitectos
Location: Altos de la Zubia, Granada, Spain
Area: 170 m2
Year: 2024
Photo Credits: Javier Callejas Architecture Photography
Designed by Serrano + Baquero Arquitectos, Pool with a House reimagines the relationship between water and architecture. Situated on a hillside in Altos de la Zubia, the home was created for Chiqui and his son, offering both a private retreat and a social space for entertaining guests. Unlike the conventional suburban model where a house and pool exist as separate elements, this design integrates water directly into the home, making it the defining feature of the living experience.
A Home That Merges with Water
Rather than placing the pool beside the house, Pool with a House weaves the two together, with rooms positioned at varying levels in relation to the water. This intentional layout creates diverse interactions with light, reflections, and movement. The result is a home that offers two distinct yet interconnected experiences—emerging from and submerging into the water.
The Experience of Emerging
Entering the home begins below the water level, leading to an ascent through spaces that constantly shift in relation to the pool. Skylights beneath the water illuminate rooms, while windows positioned at water level create mesmerizing reflections of the surroundings. The living room, sunken 90 centimeters, allows seated occupants to observe the landscape through a dynamic interplay of light and water. Outdoor platforms extend at various heights, culminating in a lookout point that provides a stunning perspective over the flooded courtyard and distant horizon.
The Experience of Submerging
Beyond the experience of rising through the home, Pool with a House invites interaction with water in multiple ways. A shallow wet platform offers a place to cool off, while a 90-centimeter flooded courtyard encourages play and relaxation. An underwater seat provides a resting spot with views of the surrounding landscape, while a beach-like entry allows for a gradual immersion into deeper water. The lookout point doubles as a diving platform, reinforcing the fluid relationship between the home’s architecture and its pool.
A House Without Boundaries
Water is not merely an addition to the home—it is the central element that shapes its atmosphere and experience. Throughout the day, changing light and reflections transform each space, creating an environment that is constantly evolving. The blurred edges between architecture and landscape allow views of Granada and the distant topography to become part of the home itself.
By challenging the traditional approach to residential design, Pool with a House offers a living experience that is both immersive and dynamic. The interplay of movement, light, and water dissolves the conventional boundaries of a house, allowing the architecture to merge seamlessly with its natural surroundings.
