The Atlantic Ocean. That wild, insidious and merciless mass of water. An ocean full of mysteries, that inspires fear in those who listen to the stories of the thousands of people that lost their lives in its blue immensity. An ocean that commands respect from those, who every day risk their lives in its waters to make a living. The Atlantic Ocean is, as it would be expected, the conductor, generator and ultimate consequence of this retreat in the coast of the Orkney Islands.
The Cliff House is conceived as a refuge against the harshness of the sea, seeking nothing but to enhance the setting in which it is located. The central idea of the project was to inhabit a grotto, just as the Atlantic puffin does in those latitudes for nesting. To accomplish this, the house is designed to penetrate the rock as it looks cautiously at the ocean. The completely glazed front, along with the high ceilings and endless courtyard, allow natural light to enter the construction generously. This residence for a family of three people develops its program downwards, placing the most public environments on the upper levels, and the more private ones on the lower levels. In the interiors, special emphasis was placed on the tectonics and rawness of the materials used, without neglecting new technologies and home automation.
The project is, ultimately, the materialization of the respect, fear, curiosity and devotion that the sea induces in each of us. That actor, that from the beginning of time has determine our fate and still is a stranger to us.
carlossirviente_architect 