Galicia has become one of the destinations to settle down or spend the summer away from the high temperatures that are being reached in other parts of Spain. In the south of the region, between estuaries, there are natural paradises and pleasant climates where it is possible to find not only scenic gems, but also architectural ones. We highlight Foxos, a project of 75 homes just a few metres from the Atlantic Ocean , in the Pontevedra estuary, promoted in 2024 by Arial and with architecture by Carbajo Barrios, and which have been recognised with the Verde certification awarded by the GBCe and which guarantees their sustainability.
How do 75 homes fit into a protected natural environment? For Carbajo Barrios, it has been essential to work on a human scale, eminently horizontal, “like a small and close house, almost with a rural essence”, and the work of Orza Paisajismo studio. “We sought a more natural language, both in the volumes and in the arrangement of the vegetation”, emphasizes Manuel Carbajo, architect.
“The first thing that was decided was to use pre-existing species and vegetation in this coastal area, implementing everything in a rational and harmonious way with the buildings, dedicating a high percentage of the spaces to paths and green areas”. In this way, Carbajo insists, “despite the strong anthropization of the area, green is what predominates”. The green roofs of the development organize the buildings and protect them acoustically and thermally, also functioning as channels for rainwater that is reused.
The homes, with a maximum of two floors and spread across four plots, maintain their own identity within this harmony. Some are directly connected to the sea from a terrace where you can almost dip your feet, while others are connected to the surrounding mountains. The heat-treated wood embraces the façade “and captures the character of the coast and the natural element”, Carbajo highlights. The contrast between the rotundity of the concrete and the smoothness and natural transformation of the wood, “with its characteristic greyish colour, was the play of materials that we needed”, says the architect.
This type of housing “fits into the model of home that is sought in the post-Covid era”, according to Juan Álvarez, CEO of Arial. “For this type of buyer, it is important that it is not a typical holiday home design, which is abundant in the area, but that it has all the necessary configurations for living, teleworking… That it is at least a second residence”. He says that they are meeting interested people who, despite being from outside Spain, maintain some connection with Galicia through a family member or their partner.
