Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

A Pair of Pink and Purple Tiny Houses Take Root in an Idyllic Olive Grove

A Pair of Pink and Purple Tiny Houses Take Root in an Idyllic Olive Grove

Mar Plus Ask designs two dreamy homes that take cues from the storied olive trees on the Spanish island of Mallorca.

For architects Mar Vicens Fuster and Ask Anker Aistrup of Mar Plus Ask, the natural and built landscape is the starting point for any design. "We like intimate spaces that have measured openings to the surroundings, that sculpt [and incorporate] natural light, and that use natural, sensorial materials," Aistrup says.

The architects consider the landscape and then make design choices to weave each building into its context, so that it appears to have always existed on the site. They use local, organic materials that reflect and absorb sunlight, facilitating shadow and light play. "Each piece of architecture will be different if your starting point is the context," Aistrup says. "We study the history, the placement, the vegetation, and the setting sun, so that a building can belong."



The walls, floor, and ceiling of one of the Olive Houses is enveloped in a pale pink tone-the color found on the leaves of the olive trees that dot the landscape.



The bedroom area in the pink house is framed by an arch opening.

Mar Plus Ask’s Olive Houses-a set of micro homes that function as a year-round retreat for architects, artists, and writers in Mallorca, Spain-are no exception. The tiny, 260-square-foot homes aren’t just tied to the natural landscape-they look like they’re part of it.

"High up in the Tramuntana Mountains with views overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the off-grid houses are surrounded in all directions by thousand-year-old olive trees that stand on man-made terraces of dry stacked stone, where only the wind and bells tied to grazing sheep can be heard," Aistrup says.



A fireplace near the bedroom area provides warmth during the winter months.



A massive existing rock formation is embedded into the design, anchoring one corner of the tiny home and tying it to nature.



An outdoor shower built into the stone is located at the rear of the tiny house.

The purple house is wrapped in stucco and equipped with a bathroom, a kitchen with two gas burners, a sink, a wood-fired oven, a table with stools, and a refrigerator powered by solar panels. The pink house, also sided with stucco, features a bed, a shower, and a fireplace.

"We reused an old stone structure for the purple house, which is the complimentary color to the dark side of an olive tree leaf," Fuster says. "Using the existing structure meant that only one new structure was needed."

They built the new pink house into existing terraces, so that it’s practically invisible and partially underground. "Some of the terraces, and most of the olive trees here are over a thousand years old," Fuster says. "The terraces are cut into the hillsides in straight lines with mathematical precision, seemingly unaffected by sharp corners and gorges. Even with today’s machinery, it seems impossible."



A second tiny house is set within an existing structure and contains a kitchen, dining area, and bathroom.



The teak front door of the existing house offsets the stone walls, lending warmth and texture.

At one end of the pink house, a vaulted ceiling dissolves into a large skylight. Beneath the skylight is a shower beside an existing rock formation that the architects incorporated as part of the design.

"When looking at nearby houses, we saw that some were built into sloped mountainsides," Fuster says. "This appealed to us as a [way] to keep the house cool in the summer, but also as a spatial idea. A home that’s half underground and has an open fireplace is somewhat reminiscent of the oldest archetype of man’s first home, a cave."

Water for the shower is provided via a natural spring behind the house, and the building’s pink tone represents the lighter shade found on the matte side of an olive-tree leaf. "Pink covers the walls, floors, and ceilings," Fuster says. "When looking into the landscape, the complementary colors of the olive trees provide an optic effect which becomes more defined, vivid and crisp."



Purple walls contrast with stone masonry and introduce a modern sensibility.



The purple shade on the existing home’s interior walls is another color found on the leaves of the olive trees that grow on the site.



The kitchen window frames views of old-growth olive trees and massive boulders.

The area, rich with olive trees, massive boulders, and views of the Tramuntana Mountains and Mediterranean Sea, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

"It’s a response to scarcity rather than excess," Aistrup says. "We normally lay out some basic dogmas, and in this case, the first was obvious—we would not touch or cut any olive trees or move any rocks. The Olive Houses blend seamlessly and sensitively into this magical setting. A house not only serves its inhabitants, it belongs and contributes to the city, street, or landscape as a whole."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
×