Spanish architecture studio Arquitectura-G has completed Patio House, a minimalist white residence in Costa Brava that centres around a large internal courtyard, accessible through folding timber shutters.

Set partially below ground into a sloping site with views over the small bay of Aiguablava, the single-storey dwelling was designed to feature a “simple and clear” geometric form, distinguished by a slender concrete roof supported by thin columns.

The outer perimeter of Patio House negotiates the uneven landscape using subterranean spaces, retaining walls, and steps. At the heart of the plan lies a level 15-by-15-metre courtyard, encircled by timber shutters that can be fully opened.

“Our main goal was to create the largest possible courtyard that the site would allow and to organise the entire house around this central space,” the studio told Dezeen.

“It adapts to the terrain so that at the upper end, the house almost disappears, with the roof sitting just 1.1 meters above the ground. At the lower end, the home is level with the landscape,” Arquitectura-G explained.

“This variation creates non-parallel interior spaces, enriching the spatial experience and highlighting the geometry of the courtyard.”

The layout of Patio House is ring-shaped and made up of two L-shaped wings: one dedicated to bedrooms, the other to the living, kitchen, and dining areas.

The private family and guest bedrooms are linked by a corridor, which widens to accommodate the kitchen, dining, and living spaces. According to the studio, these communal areas are places “where interior and exterior merge without hierarchy”.

Large, full-height wooden shutters allow the living spaces to be opened entirely to both the central courtyard and a secondary sunken yard, producing the effect of a sheltered walkway beneath the concrete roof.

In one corner, a compact circular staircase links the main floor with a small basement below and the rooftop above, which also serves as an additional outdoor terrace.