Plywood House in Palma de Mallorca by SMS Arquitectos

Just as the title suggests, Plywood House, located in a quiet neighbourhood of Palma de Mallorca, Spain, is indeed made of plywood. Or at least the new sections are. It’s kind of a Spanish version of the three little pigs, but instead of straw, this beauty is crafted from an off-site prefabricated plywood system.

Spanish studio SMS Arquitectos have delved deeply into the construction process of this terrace home, exploring the craft of plywood manufacturing which is very much a traditional process on the island. Using a CNC router and starting off with standard plywood board measuring 2440 x 1220mm, they began the redevelopment of the house.

The original house required extending, with a new floor added above, so the architects required a lightweight product so as not to overload the original stone walls. Plywood turned out to be the perfect solution.

“Starting with poplar plywood boards, the structure gives us the opportunity to investigate and test a structural system that uses the language of its manufacturing process,” explain the architects. “By combining the elements of this system, defined by the capabilities of the CNC cut, the system serves as a starting point and can be reproduced in other types of buildings.”

The use of CNC routing combined with the structural requirements of the building has generated an exciting finish of varied structural geometry. The plywood is expressed in a raw, bare and uncoated finish while the ornamental elements add decoration to the interior.

“The lack of finishes show the structural geometry of the ceiling, linking it to arabesque ornamentation of the old town of Palma,” said the architects.

The house is jam-packed with the implementation of local materials and the products of local artisans, from the concrete tiles to the more traditional terracotta ones. Using primary materials like timber, stone and terracotta but applying them all in their raw state has added a textural element to the building.

The project establishes various ‘atmospheric zones’ inside the house – a series of non-specific flexible spaces, with only wet areas and the kitchen having a fixed use.

There are rooms with diffused light and morning light, facing north-east and facing south-west. There are also rooms that look onto an interior patio, rooms with afternoon sun and views of the nearby castle.

The house has been planned so that spaces which naturally load up on thermal mass are cooler in summer, while others with less thermal mass can be quickly heated in winter, allowing for seasonal migration inside the home.

This thoughtful home keeps the historical elements of the building while SMS Arquitectos dexterously add additional layers to it, both vertically and horizontally, which allow the owners to navigate the home based on the transition of the sun. Simply sublime.