Casa Mariposa: Garden-First Architecture Wins Award

The Casa Mariposa project has received a mention of honor at the Premios de Arquitectura de Girona 2025. Designed by architect Bernat Llauradó, the residence spans 146 square meters and was built based on a unique client brief.

The homeowners sought a living space defined by the concept: "Querían un jardín con casa, no una casa con jardín" (They wanted a garden with a house, not a house with a garden). To achieve this, Llauradó utilized a distinctive cubierta en uve (V-shaped roof) and expansive glazing. These architectural choices allow the surrounding vegetation to permeate the structure, creating a seamless boundary between the interior and the exterior landscape.

The inception of Casa Mariposa began with a meeting that offered the architect total creative control. Bernat Llauradó recalls the initial consultation, stating, "Me daban carta blanca, libertad absoluta" (They gave me a blank check, absolute freedom). The clients did not provide reference images, specific material lists, or architectural styles.

The requirements were strictly functional yet open to interpretation. The clients requested:

• Three bedrooms
• Two bathrooms
• A single room serving as both a living area and kitchen

Beyond these basic needs, the only guiding instruction was the philosophical premise of prioritizing the garden over the structure. This lack of constraints allowed the architect to focus entirely on how the building would interact with the site's topography and vegetation.

The physical form of the house is defined by its attempt to remain "desapercibida" (unnoticed) within the landscape. The structure is defined by a cubierta en uve (V-shaped roof), a design element that lowers the visual profile of the building against the horizon.

The integration of nature is active rather than passive. The design facilitates a dynamic where vegetation "entra, sale y juguetea con los límites del inmueble" (enters, leaves, and plays with the limits of the property). Large windows and the specific roofline ensure that the dense vegetation does not merely surround the house, but physically interacts with its boundaries, fulfilling the client's vision of a home that serves as a shelter within a garden.

The project's success was formalized at the Premios de Arquitectura de Girona 2025. The jury recognized the innovative approach to residential design that prioritizes environmental integration over imposing structural presence. The award highlights the growing trend in Girona architecture to utilize natural elements as active components of the living space.

By achieving a mention of honor, Casa Mariposa stands as a benchmark for how architectural constraints—specifically the need to blend into a dense vegetative environment—can drive creative solutions. The project demonstrates that high-impact design can result from a singular focus on the relationship between the built environment and nature.