Unveiling the hidden, Earthen

Marina Carretero Vallejo Unveiling the hidden Earthen

IBERIA TOTAL 1.0 Architecture & Tourism for the ACTAL Undergraduate Thesis Project Undergraduate Degree in Architecture IE University 2013

PFG Professors Pablo Oriol Fernando Rodríguez Lina Toro Technical Practices Manuel Pérez Romero Rafael Iñiguez de Onzoño Workshop Instructors Linna Choi Tarik Oualalou Laura Martínez de Guereñu José María García del Monte Design Critics Izaskun Chinchilla Juan Elvira Mónica García Pedro Iglesias Andrew Varela Director David Goodman

Tourism, again Are we facing a return to the economic model of “sun and beach”? Are we prepared to re-think a productive model, already successful in past decades, to adapt it to a ecologically and culturally sensitive context?

According to the current economic difficulties and analyzing the benefits of Tourism in Spain, we think not only this condition is necessary to consolidate the country as the first European tourist destination, but geographically restructured to achieve a more diverse offer, ensuring a greater international projection.

The architectural thought and research have been absent from the shaping-processes of the economic landscapes related to tourism models. It is now time to use architecture to propose an update of the operating strategies for the exploitation of cultural and natural resources, seeking an economic and ecological balance that will allow achieving a high sustainable growth.

We will explore other landscapes and territories to propose diversity. We will define a more consistent and extensive network, one in order to create new models for progress in some forgotten environments, absolutely susceptible to have a second chance. Our actions and architectural proposals will be narrated through a new lexical where words like diversity, sustainability or energy, will match concepts such as profitability, economy, benefit, autonomy, identity, without forgetting other known languages as the exchange, the event, the time offer, heritage, human and natural landscape.

The presented projects make strong emphasis in the combination ‘tourist-resident’, extending the range of the tourism in daily life and vice versa. We are putting forward a kind of investment that doesn’t become the environment in a mere appeal of consumption. The proposals look for a great capacity of transformation in aesthetic, social, cultural terms and in the economy of

the villages. We attempt to build identity environments with high capacity of transformation, capable of coexisting with the natural landscape, architectural and existing urban conditions.

Framework The starting point of the final project research is Iberia Total: the Iberian Peninsula understood as a strong touristic destination, the theoretical frame or support where the specific proposal (the architecture project) takes place.

It seems important to implement a geographic and territorial reorganization for the Iberian Peninsula to become a global touristic destination, targeted not only to those tourists interested in the “sun and beach” offer, but also appealing to what Asian and American tourists demand. Visitors are not only attracted by sun and beach holidays, but also by the vast variety of holidays tailored to the interests of each visitor. In recent years, Spain has been confronted with the challenge of sustainable and diversified growth. The objective of such challenge is to complement the sun and sea supply with new forms of tourism, in order to create a new demand for quality that moreover contributes to increase the tourist expenditure. Thus, we propose to redefine that touristic map to transform the whole peninsula as a complete and complex tourist network.

We propose a specific frame within Iberia Total that comprises the northern segment of the Ruta de la Plata, which originally runs from Gijón to Seville. We will then focus on the AP66 Higway area, between León and the coast of Asturias. This new territory of opportunities hosts a number of existing and abandoned coalfields along some valleys: the Valle del Nalón and the Valle del Caudal. Some other incredible geographical locations such as “Los Barrios de la Luna” reservoir or the “Picos de Europa” National Park and natural reserve, are there, and of course, several interesting cities as León, Oviedo, Gijon and Aviles; besides, it features a strong connection with the airport and seaport of Aviles and Gijón. This region, which we call ACTAL (Área de Centralidad Turística Astur Leonesa), will be a laboratory to explore tourism options, as it is strongly linked to a landscape of great industrial potential, and also to the main road infrastructure system of the Iberian Peninsula.

The great potential of ACTAL, as we have known through rigorous research, is embodied in the wide range of projects presented in this book: new production landscapes, intensification of urban cultural programs, activation of natural spots, colonization of the mining heritage These proposals, unlike other programs and architectures already known, allow us to imagine a future scenario in which a different tourism is possible, thanks to the thoughtful and measured action of the architect.

Fernando Rodríguez, Pablo Oriol y Lina Toro Professors of Undergraduate Thesis Project Unit

Bio Born and raised in Segovia, Spain, Marina Carretero starts her studies in architecture in 2008, fulfilling them successfully by the publication of this book in 2013, by Ie University. Global minded by the accomplishment of internships in architecture in Madrid (2009-2010) working for GilBartolome Architecture, Germany (2010-2011) working for Kinzo-Berlin, and India (2011-2012), working for Studio-Mumbai. Apart from her internships she has been working in local architecture and construction studios as designer.

These backgrounds give her an starting and inspiration point in order to develop further projects for her professional and academic career.

Excelling in design studio and architectural visualization, she exhibits one of her projects in the “Architectural International Summit” (2011), and a different one in the exhibition of students´ selected works “Show 2012”, both projects of Design Studio.

Passionate by design and business (Minor in business administration by Ie University), she starts a company of jewelry design in 2012, with the aim of create a registered brand, (sinblanca.) while keeping her mind open to new opportunities in the field of architecture and design.

foto

Index.

Introduction Architecture and Tourism Territory Unveiling the Hidden The Strategy Earthen Ground Spaces Built Spaces In Detail Conclussions

8-9 10-21 22-35 36-47 47-99 50-65 66-83 83-95 96-97

Introduction.

How does architecture deal with nature? How a manmade work can survive in the wild woods?

“Unveiling the hidden, Earthen” is a project dealing with different aspects of architecture as place, materiality and program, trying to integrate them into a single project inside the topic of tourism. The project sits upon a slate vein, a geological dike near a river. The aim of the project is to study the different ways of approaching the site, and let people enjoy it in a way in a soft way. Therefore the program selected for the project is focused in people with environmental concerns, people that enjoys nature and love to protect it. The program becomes an spiritual retreat unveiling the most hidden nature, such as the insiders of the vein, and letting the user approach to this uninhabited area. How can the project talk about “atmosphere of the earthen?”. In this process of inhabiting nature in a way that tourists can enjoy it, the main objective is for them to find that different thing, the thing that makes them go to the place, therefore, the way the project touches the ground, and the way the project is designed, result in unique spaces for the sake of the user to find himself in nature through architecture.

From the shaping of the vein to the stacking of rocks of the walls, the architecture work becomes a full experience of what nature can give us, letting the user to experience a unique way of solitude, nature and architecture as if they were one.

Intro | 11

Architecture & Tourism.

Before going further with the project is worth mentioning and studying the different approaches to tourism from an architectonical point of view. To study how architecture can make an ideal place from a brown field, and furthermore, what are the consequences of it.

Taking Seaside Resort as the main example, it will be explained how through architecture and urban planning is possible to give the user a new feeling, a new experience both for good and for bad. This idyllic resort can be annoying for some, but very pleasant for others.

People is used to live in places where not everything is perfectly organized and where there happens things, where you get lost and found again, where housing finishing is scratched, and dirt find in the ground. That is not the case of Seaside.

In the next few pages we will see how the location of each -at first- unimportant part of the city, becomes essential in the whole work, making a comfortable place for vacation., -and for some- to live in.

12

|

Unveiling The Hidden

New Urbanism & New Towns With the development of the new urbanism and the apparition of the new towns, some summer refuges were created, such as the case of Seaside. The New Towns foster the community life and are said to be an antidote towards the ills of the current cities. Some of the early “summer refuges� later become into self-sufficient communities working all along the year, as it is the case of Seaside.

sea sports pavilions restaurants commercial public building private green public building residential 14

|

Unveiling The Hidden

“I have to say this was the best experience we have ever had, the home was top notch and the cleanest I have ever had in Seaside. I highly recommend Seaside as a wonderful family vacation, we look forward to our return.” -Sandflea “Seaside is not a vacation development. Living in Seaside is wonderful.” -Glorry “Seaside is for people who have no imagination.” -Surf Wiley “It’s basically a planned beach community. It has brick streets, white picket fences, and brightly colored beach cottages. There is a town square with a market and several shops. Across the street is a small shopping district that also has some bars and restaurants. There are pools (one is adults only) and tennis courts. Everyone rides their bikes everywhere, and there are sno cone and ice cream stands on the streets by the town square. They have an ampitheater where they show movies and a day camp for children. It really is the most peaceful, down home place I’ve ever been.” -Southernbelle “It’s cute but it gives off that weird, plastic fake feeling, like walking through Disney World. Reminds me of the Disney planned community of Celebration. For some reason it really freaks me out. It just doesn’t seem real.” - Beeyotch “Perfect for a romantic weekend getaway, Seaside Florida is oh so quaint and was Home to the Truman Show... yes, that quaint town is REAL!!!! You can even stay in the TRUMAN house if you wish...” -www.fodors.com/ “Excellence is always opposed by mediocre minds...”-Amanda www.familyvacationcritic.com www.fodors.com/ www.gossiprocks.com/forum

Here two more examples of how architecture and tourism can be completely integrated creating totally new spaces.

See Las Arenas Mall, GC (above) a former bullring redesigned as a shopping center, or the High Line, NY (right), the new thought about how to occupy the abandoned railways.

Both examples of successfully working architecture.

20

|

Unveiling The Hidden

Seaside as the American Dream Despite being criticized for an ideal design, it is clear that Seaside works. At some point it was thought as a real city, and not only as a touristic Villa. The construction plans had been successful and the different phases have been completed. From the small centre with a flea market, this same center has become a huge central plaza that houses from restaurant and small boutiques to a stage for concerts and cultural celebrations. From the small vacational town that was projected, Seaside has grown until hosting the main infrastructures that a city needs. Right now it is not a self-sufficient town, due to this touristic perception of the same. BUT, the growth that it has been experiencing a long the years, has been created new infrastructures that can lead into the development of a new city, being Seaside the metropolitan center of it.

Nowadays, the project for the second school has been approved, and the creation of a new “center” is now tangible, which leads the conclusion of an extension and creation of new nodes, always respecting the design points and requirements on which Seaside is based on.

Seaside is branded as the American Dream made true. An ideal city in which community and perfect detached houses are created, always solving the commuting problems that the actual cities are dealing with, and which Americans are starting to be frustrated with. That is one of the reasons why Seaside is working, at least as second housing for Americans. While the infrastructur e is growing, sales do too. New central areas are providing new services to the town, which leads into the aim of people for living/working in Seaside.

That is why we, as well as the architect of the town, think on how the touristic area of Seaside will become the center of a metropolitan area, being then, a sustainable city. It will be an example of how tourism can bring new centers of interaction creating this way new citys. This will be an ideal city, that obviously will not respond to everyone´s desires, but it will at least accomplish the ideal American Dream and way of living.

22

|

Unveiling The Hidden

Territory.

In order to find a plot for Unveiling the Hidden, it was important to analize the whole area, not only geografically but also historically.

The large amount of militar architecture in the area was the main objective in order to be analized.

Very important the settlement in Sierra de Grado, one of the biggest and best preserved.

Avil茅s

Grado

Gij贸n

Oviedo Mieres

Provincia de Asturias

Castilla y Le贸n La Robla

Le贸n

Armoured shelter

Light shelter

Armoured support

Light support

Armoured position

Light position

Armoured trench

Light trench Territory | 25

Spanish Civil War Timeline 1936 July

1937 March

August

May 24th Nationalists get Peña Ubiña

19th Coronel Aranda dominates Oviedo 20th Oviedo is declared state of war 21st Barracks of Guardia Civil surrender in Gijón 24th Assault and fire to Simancas barracks

1st Attacks to Zapadores barracks in Gijón 3th First attacks against Oviedo 4th Aereal attack to Oviedo. “Columnas Gallegas” get into Luarca 16th Milicias Populares assault Zapadores and the rebels (Nationalists) surrender 19th Nationalists occupy Leitariegos Port in Gijón 22nd Republicans get El Campón Nationalists occupy Cangas de Narcea 31st Oviedo changes its flag to red and yellow

September

10th Attacks to Oviedo by Republicans 15th Columnas gallegas move to Grado 18th Republicans counter-attack Peñaflor 25th Columnas Gallegas move to Peñaflor

October

4th Republican offensive to Oviedo 5th-12th Intense attacks against Oviedo 13th Nationalists occupy El Escamplero 16th Nationalists occupy Gallegos 18th Republicans attack El Escamplero

November

2nd Republicans against Puerto del Ponton, Gijón 13th Nationalists force to Valle del Narcea 27th Republicans act against Grado

December

10th Frente Popular try to get El Escamplero and Peñaflor 26

|

Unveiling The Hidden

1st Snowstorms difficult the opperations 17th Frente popular start to surrender

August

1st Republicans attack against “pasillo de Grado” 21st-22nd Nationalists attack Belmonte 23th-25th Republicans counter-attack Belmonte

September

1st-4th First Nationalists offensives to Asturias. Republicans surrender 5th Nationalists get Llanes 6th Republicans start again in Solchaga battle 9th Nationalists get south of Pajares 22nd Nationalists dominate Pajares

October

17th The “Consejo Soberano” surrenders and decide to evacuate Asturias 20th The “Consejo Soberano” abandon Gijon 21st Nationalists get into Gijon. Frente Norte dissapears

July 1936 Oviedo Burgos

Pamplona

Salamanca Madrid Toledo

Badajoz

Córdoba Sevilla

Barcelona Zaragoza Menorca Valencia Mallorca Cartagena

Granada

Gijón

Avilés

Gibraltar

Oviedo

March

Puerto de Pajares Santander Gijón Guernica Bilbao Burgos

Barcelona

León

Madrid Valencia

Málaga MAR CANTÁBRICO

Avilés

October

Oviedo

Gijón

Ribadesella

Santander Bilbao

Torrevieja Gijón

Valmaseda Villareal

Barruelo Burgos Madrid

Barcelona

San Sebastián

Pamplona

León Burgos

Sagunto Valencia

Territory | 27

Military architecture After the contact we had with this architecture with all the examples we saw in the trip, we discovered a new world.

The importance of landscape for the military architecture is crucial. How you use the landscape for your own benefit, to have a strategic view point or to hide in the mountains for defense.

In this case the landscape is used for a personal benefit not having in mind the idea of taking care of it or preserve it, they do it.

INTEGRATION BETWEEN ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPE. CAMOUFLAGE. 28

|

Unveiling The Hidden

Pe単aflor Little village in la Sierra de Grado, key point in the Independence War of Asturias.

Typical architecture from the North of Spain, horreos, due to the weather conditions.

MAKE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES TO BUILD. VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE. Territory | 29

Strenghts Opportunities Weaknesses and threats

S

The Civil War in Asturias.

Unique situation in the whole Spain, key point in the War thanks to the geographic and political situation.

Very strong identity represented in its architecture.

One of the best landscapes in the Iberian Peninsula.

Historical events, attractive not just for Spanish people, also for foreingers.

The desire to know more about what is hidden, what was there, the layers of this territory.

Historical heritage.

Attract environmental concerned tourists

W

Bunkers are not very accesible to tourism.

Most of the militar architecture has been destroyed or it is abandoned.

Create new architecture potentializing desire of the area

Privatization.

Demolishion of all these architecture.

Militar architecture is sometimes not related with history but with political issues.

30

|

O

Unveiling The Hidden

T

Earthen

Ethereal Territory | 31

Video storyboard, relating experience during the journey through the intervention area, showing -again- not only the vast landscape, but what happened there, the footprints left and the experiences lived. How military architecture becomes part of the landscape? How -once the war is finishedone experiences it?

Once analyzed different examples of architecture and tourism, it is clear there is something people search while on vacation, something that takes them to something completely different from their daily lives. It is desire. Through this journey the objective was to capture the desire and the identity of the area. In the case of Seaside it was the idyllic urbanism, the perfection. In the case of military architecture and landscape it is about curiosity about history, about isolation and tectonics at the same time as openness to nature and air. Here it comes, the arrival of Unveiling the Hidden of both, Earthen and Ethereal.

Watch the full video here:

32

|

Unveiling The Hidden

Territory | 33

AS-312

CANDAMO AS-237

sierra de picaroso

LAS REGUERAS

N-634

Castañedo

rio nalón

GRADO

Cabruños

Peñaflor

Peñaflor.

AS-313

El Fresno

La Mata

Boscones Gurullés

Berció

Villanueva

GR-2

Agüera

BELMONTE DE MIRANDA

Bayo

AS-311

OVIEDO

ab urr ug a

Coalla

sie rra de l

GR-4

GR-3

Ambás

rio bá scone s

rio menén

dez

Sama Baselgas

Villandas

Las Cruces Vigaña

STO. DOMINGO Restiello

YERNES TAMEZA

Talinas

gra nda

PROAZA

sie rra de la

GR-5

rio gu bia

sie rra de por cab eza s

Villamarin

PEÑA MAURÍN PICO COLLADIN PICO MILITAR ARCHITECTURE

PICO REDONDO

PICO DE LA BERZA

34

|

CITY TEVERGA

Unveiling The Hidden

ROAD RIVER

After analyzing the entire area of intervention, Peñaflor is the main target to act into, not only because of its historical repercussions in the war, but because of its vernacular architecture and geographical implications.

It is a Parroquia belonging to to Concejo de Grado. It is one of the smallest Parroquias of the area with 250 inhabitants in 8.57sqkm, and 142 houses. It is 50m above sea level and its amazing landscape includes the Nalon River and the Desfiladero de Peñaflor. Because of its strategical location it was crucial during the Independence War, and the construction of its bridge was a step forward in the history of Peñaflor.

Territory | 35

CLIMATE

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Ash

MAIN MATERIALS Limestone

Average T. 12.7ยบC

Oak

Slate

Minimum T. 9.2ยบC

Linden

Sandstones

Maximum T. 17.5ยบC

Willow

Ilex Timber

Ilex

Oak Timber

Chesnut

Suitable Soil

Maximum T. 839,44mm

Raining Days 157 per year

Foggy Days 70 per year

36

|

Unveiling The Hidden

Unveiling the Hidden.

The Strategy.

Unveiling the hidden is a common strategy which its main objective is to give a use and architectural program to the great lands of Pe単aflor, by making them reachable to those environmentally concerned, in order to respect and preserve the landscape, in a way that it does not injures the land, but promotes it.

MIND & YOGA mental-physical activity,

WHO COUPLES- local, national and international tourism.

WHEN 2 to 4 days stay, WEEKEND, shorterm stay

WHAT experience the LANDSCAPE, be in physical contact with it.

HOW SENSES + ARCHITECTURE + LANDSCAPE

40

|

Unveiling The Hidden

traditionaly form India. There are different technics, usually practice before the day starts, around 5-6:30 in the morning. It needs to be a small space with a rigid but soft ground, tatami.

It needs to be an empty room, or with small objects which help the yogui to meditate.

KUNDALINI YOGA yoga focused in the chakras. It can be practice at any time of the day, preferible in an open space in connection with a river.

TANTRA branch of yoga which canalizes the sexual energy to get the mental and physical stability. It is usually practice in groups or partners at any time of the day.

MEDITATION practice from the budism and hinduism, in which the person is in contact with his own chakras, by trying to empty his mind he is in contact with every part of his body. Osho meditation is done at the beginning of the day, usually in the sunrise. Nataraj de Osho is done at any time of the day,

BODY

but usually at dawn. It needs to be practice in a quiet space, alone or in group but always in silence.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES

ostheopaty, acupuncture, chiropractic, ayurveda, homeopathy, Bach flowers remedies.

CHI KUN from the Chinese medicine, a practice that puts in contact mind, breath and body.

Practise at any time of the day in open spaces. In China they believe it has healing properties.

REIKI (CHAKRAS)the technique of opening the chakras of a person by the imposition of the hands. It is traditionally from Japan, and the hinduism. It needs a mentor and a “patient”, but just them in an empty and solitary room. The space needs to be quiet and in connection with nature.

VIPASSANA Indian meditation practise before the sunrise, around 4.00am.

ZAZEN kind of meditation traditonal from Japan. Usually practice at dawn or before going to sleep, around 9-10.00pm

THERMES taking advantage

of the river, creating natural and artificial thermes.

HAMMAM different wet spaces variating their temperature. User gets relax once checked in, or after mental and physical activities.

SOUND TOWER meditation through sounds, contemplating the vast landscape Peñaflor offers.

MEDITATION CORNER meditation surrounded by the woods alone in the open space.

SAUNA INDOOR POOL final step of

the wet corridor.

SERVICES entrace, parking, toilets, showers COMMON SPACES restaurant, orchards GROUP ACTIVITIES yoga, Chi Kun, tantra

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES

meditation, astrology, reiki, alternative therapies ROOMS individual, double and group rooms.

The Strategy | 41

M&B M 04.00 05.30 06.30 B 08.00 B 10.00 12.00 B 14.00 15.00 16.00 B 16.30 B 17.00 M 17.30 M 18.00 B 18.30 B 19.00 19.30 M 21.00 M 22.00 M 22.30

vipassana yoga breakfast chi kun tantra lunch alt. practives check in snack thermes hammam sound tower meditation corner sauna indoor pool dinner astronomy zazen sleep

85sqm 50sqm 75sqm 50sqm 50sqm 100sqm 35sqm 50sqm 35sqm 330sqm 850sqm 60sqm 252sqm 148sqm 378sqm 100sqm 50sqm 85sqm 120sqm

acivities = 2803sqm +services = 850sqm +connections = 1400sqm + 750sqm 5800 TOTAL 42

|

Unveiling The Hidden

The strategy splits the full program in different volumes, proposing a coherent route all along through it, merging just checked visitors with already checked ones. This proposed -but not mandatory- route allows for different programs in the full campus, giving space for different kind of tourism (hiking, working...), giving Pe単aflor a renovated but respectful use.

tree mass

infrastructure

timing

The Strategy | 47

Unveiling the Hidden.

Earthen.

Earthen | 51

“groundscapes. the rediscovery of

the ground in contemporary architecture.�Ilka Rubi The analysis of the military architecture is important in this project not only because of the architecture itself (tectonics, spaces...) but because of the footprint it leaves. In the example of the next page, nature and architecture becomes one. Time, landscape and architecture merge into one single piece.

The importance of taking into account the relationships between built spaces and ground spaces and how both interact creating new spaces is the basis of Unveiling the Hidden, Earthen.

Earthen potentiates the ground in order to create architecture directly from it, creating an unique piece of nature and man men work, respecting the environment and studying the consequences not only in the ground but in the contemporary architecture.

52

|

Unveiling The Hidden

Earthen | 53

In order to go further with the concept of groundscapes, it is necessary to analize the ground materiality and gegraphycal and geological accidents of the plot, resulting in a hight density limestoned plot and a slate vein, together with the Nalon River and its affluents.

54

|

Unveiling The Hidden

river slate dike limestone above ground limestone beneath ground

Earthen | 55

The Slate Dike Taking advantage of the slate vein of the area, and analyzing it from its early stages (images 1 and 2), to its complete development (3), the building is located all the way through the vein, shaping and modifing it according to the different requirements. See further graphic information in the next few pages.

56

|

Unveiling The Hidden

sandstones limestone-lithic argillaceous shales shales with pebbles slate dike

1

2

3 Earthen | 57

current vein and topography

modified vein and topography

modified vein and topography model

60

|

Unveiling The Hidden

Shaped Slate Model Left: Different kind of cut shapes on the slate. Variations according space requirements

62

|

Unveiling The Hidden

Earthen | 63

Cross section through the vein.

Shaped slate.

64

|

Unveiling The Hidden

Earthen | 65

Architecture + Land-art The shaping of the slate gives a similar effect and atmosphere to the images on this spread, Petra, Jordan (left) is one of the most clearest examples of the fusion between ground spaces and built spaces, similar to what is happening in Unveiling the Hidden, Earthen.

Other example is the Double Negative intervention of Michael Heizer. It is a land-art piece in Nevada consisting in two trenches cut on the earth. Double Negative blurs the distinction between sculpture (“art”) and normal objects such as rocks (“not art”), and encourage viewers to consider how the earth relates to art. Changing the word “viewers” to “users”, it is appreciated the relationship between earth, art, and architecture, and the experience of the whole.

66

|

Unveiling The Hidden

Earthen | 67

11

1

check in.130sqm

2

snack patio.95sqm

3 4

10

9 8

7

5a

hammam.warm/hot.513sqm

5b

hammam.cold.218sqm

5c

hammam.massage.142sqm

6 5

6

staff room.50sqm

7

sound tower.60sqm

8

meditation corner.252sqm

9

saunas.148sqm

5

5 3 4

2

1

natural therme.190sqm

10

indoor pool.378sqm

11

way out.20sqm

+ +

services.248sqm

T

total.3351sqm

1

vein.764sqm

The distribuition of the program, intrudices the user progressively from the daily life into the experience of the spiritual retreat, all along through the rough textured slate vein. In the splited section (beneath and next spread), the different shapes and materials are present, following the user proposed path.

2

3

4

5

7

8

9

10

11

74

|

Unveiling The Hidden

The snack patio is the first stop for just-checked-in users and the meeting point with people inside the spiritual retreat, coming from the Ethereal part of the project. At this point people gets into the wet part of the retreat, for ones as the integration to the retreat, and for others as the physical relaxation part of the day. (number 2 in plan. section b.)

Earthen | 75

The hammam is divided into four spaces, warm and hot (5a in plan), cold (5b), and massage area (5c). The baths change from artificial (warm and hot) to natural (cold) taking advantage of the river nearby.

In the case of the sauna (9), its worth mentioning the shaping on the topography, in order to provide thermal mass to the spaces, producing this way some of the heat needed for the steam bath to be useful.

80

|

Unveiling The Hidden

Earthen | 81

The configuration of the build spaces is done through concentric walls which create a maze circulation along the program, letting the user discover the different spaces, one at a time.

82

|

Unveiling The Hidden

Earthen | 83

The shaped slate creates a linear promenade through which the user get discovering both, ground (modified topography and slate itself), and built spaces.

84

|

Unveiling The Hidden

Earthen | 85

Limestone

Slate

Timber

Taking advantage of the materials of the ground spaces, such as limestone, slate and wood, the only material to be included to create the built spaces is glass. Through the combination of these four materials, all the different spaces are designed.

86

|

Unveiling The Hidden

Glass

1 laminated wood structure 2 screwed joint 3 metal joint sheet 4 roof cage´s structural grid 5 roof cage´s secondary grid 7 glass´ supportive metal plate 8 waterproofing neoprene layer 9 glass 10 fenestration 11 steel plate 12 morter layer 13 wall cage´s structural grid 14 gabion fill 15 glass´ supportive metal plate 16 glass 17 gutter metal plate 18 gutter downspout 19 gutter enclosure 20 manteinance

88

|

Unveiling The Hidden

Earthen | 89

90

|

Unveiling The Hidden

Earthen | 91

limestones

slate/limestones

slate slabs 3

4 2

1 concrete slab

1

2 fenestration strucuture 3 glass inner enclosure 4 gavion cages

The walls materialized on stone are built by the layering of gabion cages, varying their fill from the slate subtracted on the shaping process, to limestone, again from the modified topography.

The limestoned cages coincide in their fill with the ones on the completely independent roof structure. There exists a relationship between the built spaces and ground spaces, appreciable on the image in the next spread.

92

|

Unveiling The Hidden

The roof is a completely independent laminated wood structure, creating a new layer and potentiating the maze circulation around the spaces. The limestone filled gabion cages allow light to come in through the stones, creating intimate spaces.

Through the whole project, the concept of groundscapes has been present, trying to study all its different meanings, and the possibilities of relating contemporary architecture with it.

The way in which contemporary architecture is currently related to ground spaces, has nothing to do with this. People is used to live grey cities, grey architecture. And nature is not being preserved but exploited as if it was a theme park.

What is happening to vernacular architecture?

How can a man-made work integrate with the existing nature and landscape? ...

This full collection deals with different approaches to the topic of architecture and tourism. In this book is developed one of the two parts of unveiling the hidden, a common strategy dealing with atmosphere from two opposite directions. Earthen and Ethereal.

Located in Pe単aflor, Oviedo, the strategy develops the fully split program of an spiritual retreat.