The new project by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos in the luxury development of La Moraleja, Madrid, consists of a villa that arranges its program essentially on a single floor, with diagonal views toward the lake of the nearby golf course, whose green landscape interacts with the language of tones and colors proposed by the house.

The house takes spatial references from Andreu Alfaro's sculptures, aiming to allow the eye to fluidly explore the different elements. This interpretation is adapted and transferred to the house, which features a composition of volumes where straight lines and curves generate a dynamic relationship between forms and spaces.

Villa 18, designed by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos, consists of three volumes whose displacement creates an entrance courtyard on the north side. From the entrance, the geometric composition of the spaces forms a path free of pillars, facilitating flexibility in program and interior uses. The day area is arranged into two offset volumes of different heights, creating a platform with southeast-facing views. The main body reaches nearly one and a half stories in height. A third volume houses the sleeping area, which is more secluded and offers discreet outdoor spaces.

Through a study of different light tones in the materials, with nuances that create an engaging visual narrative, an integrated heterogeneity is achieved, allowing for a balanced perception of the various interior spaces. These spaces are defined by a wide range of white shades and are connected through different materials, such as natural stone, glass enclosure, ash wood, and water, which links the sky with the terrace and the various interior spaces, all of which open their views toward it.

Villa 18 by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra

Villa 18 by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra.

Project description by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos 

The project features diagonal views toward a lake belonging to the La Moraleja golf course in Madrid. Given that the size of this location allowed for it, a home was proposed that develops primarily on a single floor. The daytime area is organized into two volumes of different heights that shift in relation to each other, creating a sheltered terrace that faces the landscape, oriented southeast. The main body has a height of almost one and a half floors. A third structure houses the nighttime area, positioned in such a way that it has its own more private outdoor space.

The interplay of the three built volumes forms an entrance courtyard, oriented north, which gives a distinctive character to the entryway experience. The geometry has a structural function, allowing for unobstructed views of the landscape without supports. This way, spaces may remain adaptable in the future for new uses and users.

Villa 18 by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
Villa 18 by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra.

Just as the Inuit and other Arctic peoples have, according to linguists, more than forty words to describe snow, in this project, we were challenged to find a very specific and extensive range of whites with warm undertones. These shades encompass everything from Colmenar’s natural stone to ash wood, which is found in the forests of Madrid, different types of brass with colors close to 9016, and lighting temperatures tending towards 2,700K. The aim was to achieve an integrated heterogeneity that would likely help to create a sense of calm within these domestic spaces.

On the lower floor, spaces dedicated to physical well-being are located, including the swimming pool, gym, and other complementary uses, all illuminated by a skylight. Each volume features a rounded edge, generating a dynamic visual reading. These curved elements are placed in the open terrace areas, facilitating construction while ensuring that all interiors remain orthogonal.

Villa 18 by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
Villa 18 by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra.

We have always been fascinated by this strategy in the work of Andreu Alfaro. In some of his pieces, the relationship between the straight line and the curve creates a continuous knot, where the eye appears to flow seamlessly from one element to another. As Maderuelo would say, we sought to "capture" this spatial quality from Alfaro’s sculptures. As a result, the main part of the house becomes a sort of continuous journey, where the swimming pool transitions into the terrace, which in turn integrates with the facades of the built volumes, ultimately closing the loop back at the pool. This approach highlights one of the many functions of the home: to be enjoyed by observing it.

More information

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Architects
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Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Lead architect.- Fran Silvestre.

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Project team
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Architects.- María Masià, Estefanía Soriano, Carlos Lucas.

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Collaborators
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Interior design.- Alafaro Hofmann.
Quantity Surveyor.- Jorge Carrión Ponce, José Miguel Cota San Andrés.
Structural Engineer.- Estructuras Singulares.
Project Architect.- Paco Chinesta.
Collaborating Architects.- Pablo Camarasa, Ricardo Candela, Sevak Asatrián, Andrea Baldo, Angelo Brollo, Javi Herrero, Gino Brollo, Facundo Castro, Anna Alfanjarín, Laura Bueno, Susana León, Nuria Doménech, David Cirocchi, Andrea Raga, Olga Martín, Víctor González, Pepe Llop, Alberto Bianchi, Pablo Simó, Laura Palacio, Carlos Perez, Jovita Cortijo, Claudia Escorcia, Andrea García, Diana Murcia.
Collaborating Interior designer.- Toni Cremades, Andrea Blasco, Olga Fernández.
General Contractor.- Project Work.
Financial Manager.- Ana de Pablo.
Marketing Manager.- Sara Atienza.
Financial Department.- Valeria Fernandini.
Administration Department.- Sandra Mazcuñán.
Business developer.- José María Ibañez.
Marketing & PR.- Graciela Guillén, Andrea Álvarez.
Business Developer.- Néstor Bolinches.

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Developer
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37 THREESEVEN.

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Area
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2,764 sqm.

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Dates
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2022 - 2024.

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Location
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La Moraleja, Madrid, Spain.

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Manufacturers
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Furniture.- Andreu World , CasaDesús, Point, Fran Silvestre Arquitectos.
Finishes.- Baumit.
Bathrooms.- Kibeny, Sensem, IMG Windows.
Kitchen.- Gaggenau.

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Photography
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Fran Silvestre Arquitectos is a Valencia-based studio founded in 2005 by architect Fran Silvestre. The firm consists of a multidisciplinary team of over 50 professionals and operates in the former workshop of sculptor Andreu Alfaro, a 7,000 m² space. Its work focuses on residential, cultural, corporate, and public projects worldwide, characterized by formal purity, modulation, serialization, and the innovative use of materials and technologies.

Fran Silvestre was born on July 5, 1976, and graduated in Architecture from the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Valencia in 2001. A year later, he specialized in urban planning at the Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (TU/e) in the Netherlands. His training was enriched by a scholarship to work with Portuguese architect and Pritzker Prize laureate Álvaro Siza in Porto, with whom he has maintained collaborations ever since. Simultaneously, he has developed a strong academic career: he has been a professor in the Projects Department at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) since 2006 and at the European University since 2009. In 2011, he was deputy director of the Valencia School of Architecture, and in 2018, he received the Víctor L. Regnier Chair at Kansas State University (KSU) in the United States. He currently also directs the MArch Postgraduate School in Architecture and Design.

Throughout his career, Silvestre has received numerous awards, including the Fundación Caja de Arquitectos Prize (2001), the Colegio de Arquitectos COACV Prize (2010), and the Red Dot Design Award (2013). In 2012, he was named Ambassador of Spanish Architecture in the United States by the Ministry of Culture and Sports. He has also won the NYCxDESIGN Award (2016), the German Design Award in multiple editions (2016, 2020, 2021, and 2024), the IF Design Award (2021), and the Delta Bronze Award from the ADI Awards (2024).

His work has been exhibited at institutions such as the MoMA in New York and the Museu Serralves in Porto, and published in magazines like Architectural Record, GA Houses, On-Diseño, and Interni. In addition, publishers such as Phaidon, Taschen, and Thames & Hudson have featured his work, with a notable monograph published by Rizzoli in New York, written by critic Philip Jodidio.

Fran Silvestre Arquitectos’ projects are located in various countries, including China, the United States, Brazil, Thailand, Egypt, Croatia, Italy, Australia, Austria, Mexico, and Spain. Notable works include Casa Atrium (2009), Casa de la Ladera de un Castillo (2010), Casa del Acantilado (Alicante), Casa Balint (Valencia), Casa in Hollywood Hills (Los Angeles), the Zibo Master Plan (China), the Hotel-Boutique in Vis (Croatia), and the Eolic Tower (Valencia).

The studio's architecture is influenced by Álvaro Siza and sculptor Andreu Alfaro. According to critic David Cohn, Fran Silvestre’s work does not seek a lost authenticity or geometric perfection but instead creates environments that elevate everyday life through precise and innovative design.

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Published on: March 14, 2025
Cite: "A language from nuances. Villa 18 by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos" METALOCUS. Accessed
<http://www.metalocus.es/en/news/language-nuances-villa-18-fran-silvestre-arquitectos> ISSN 1139-6415
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