Baldó Arquitectura: Japanese design for Spanish pool house

Godai Pavilion is a pool house designed by Spanish company Baldó Arquitectura for a villa in a rural Cantabria. It features an overhanging roof and bamboo materials.

The outbuilding, which is situated in northern Spain, attempts to exhibit natural materials and Japanese architectural elements while being sensitive to the local climate.

In order to create an enclosed courtyard garden with the existing structures on the plot, Baldó Arquitectura positioned the pool house to the south of the site.

“The pavilion [creates] a dialogue between different architectures, with the pool as a central element and a link between the existing home and the new pavilion,” the firm told Dezeen.

The project’s name and design are derived from the Japanese godai school of thought, which is centered on the five elements: earth, water, fire, wind, and space.

The big, protecting top of the building and the transparent façade, which frame the surrounding scenery, help to illustrate this idea.

The facades of the Godai Pavilion are adorned with bamboo slats and change from solid to emptiness. The studio claims that the slats, which aid in regulating natural illumination and offering privacy, are based on the Fibonacci sequence.

The pavilion also makes use of bamboo, evoking tatami rooms in the Japanese style. In the meanwhile, the ceilings are meant to mimic the origami technique.

A three-room living area indoors connects to a wooden terrace with stairs leading down to the swimming pool.

The pavilion’s construction incorporates recycled oriented strand board (OSB) panels, local pine, cork and mineral rock wool insultion, and bamboo on both its internal and external facades.

Additionally, Baldó Arquitectura used passive design techniques to defend against the sun and rain, including the big roof that decreases solar gain and offers shade.

“The local climate takes on a fundamental value, where strong winds, rain and summer sun become protagonists,” the studio said.

José Baldó Sierra established Baldó Arquitectura, which has offices in Madrid and Asturias.