Luthuli: a home defined by structural clarity, spatial continuity and a direct relationship between interior and exterior

Set within a residential environment in Sabadell, the Luthuli project, designed by Next Arquitectura, proposes an architecture defined by structural clarity, spatial continuity and a direct relationship between interior and exterior. The project consists of a detached single-family house of 470 m² that brings together architecture, interior design and landscape through a functional and serene approach.

The house is developed from an L-shaped plan, a decision that allows the programme to be clearly organised while opening the main spaces towards the garden and the pool. This geometry generates a sequence of rooms that are visually and physically connected to the exterior, fostering an open and fluid domestic experience. Access is arranged through an initial pergola, marked by the presence of an olive tree, which guides the approach towards the central volume of the house and establishes a first transition between the public realm and the domestic sphere.

Inside, the organisation revolves around a central vertical core that concentrates the staircase and the lift. This element resolves vertical circulation and structures the entire house, acting as a constant spatial reference. On the ground floor, the daytime living areas bring together the living room, dining room, kitchen, library and playroom within a single continuous space, where boundaries between uses dissolve and the space adapts to different ways of inhabiting and gathering.

The staircase, conceived as both a sculptural and structural element, combines black steel with light timber treads and is accompanied by glass balustrades that enhance visual lightness and the entry of natural light. From here, the house unfolds vertically towards an upper floor dedicated to rest. The children’s bedrooms are arranged as independent rooms connected by a generous intermediate space conceived as an area for study and shared activities. The main suite, linked to the central volume, functions almost as an autonomous unit, reinforcing a sense of intimacy within the home. The basement completes the programme with a combination of technical spaces, storage areas and a large parking area.

From a material perspective, the house is built with reinforced concrete walls and an inverted flat roof. The façade combines large-format stone with a marble-like appearance, timber slats and an external thermal insulation system (ETICS), achieving a balance between solidity, texture and energy efficiency. Grey aluminium exterior joinery with thermal break reinforces the continuity between inside and outside while underlining the contemporary character of the project.

Inside, white acts as a neutral backdrop against which natural materials and a restrained palette are deployed. Carefully selected furniture coexists with contemporary artworks that add depth and character to the spaces. In the kitchen, white cabinetry is integrated flush with walls and ceilings, eliminating frames and trims, while full-height oak doors and almost invisible technical elements reinforce a sense of order and continuity.

The relationship with the exterior is completed by large sliding windows protected by white curtains that filter the light. Natural timber flooring unifies the interior spaces and visually extends outdoors, where light grey porcelain stoneware resolves the paved areas and conceals the rainwater drainage system. Outdoor furniture, chosen for its lightness and durability, allows the garden and the swimming pool to function as a natural extension of the house.

From a technical standpoint, the project incorporates solutions aimed at comfort and sustainability, such as an aerothermal system for domestic hot water production and an underground rainwater recovery tank used for garden irrigation. These decisions support a conscious way of living, in which technology accompanies daily use without unnecessary prominence.

Luthuli thus presents itself as a home conceived through coherence between architecture, use and context. A project in which spatial experience is shaped by continuity, light and a balanced relationship with the surrounding landscape.

Project: Luthuli.
Location: Sabadell (Barcelona).
Area: 471,65 m².

Architecture: Next Arquitectura.
Photography: Eugeni Pons.
Styling: Susana Ocanya.
Source: Pati Núñez Agency.

Next Arquitectura

Next Arquitectura is an architecture studio founded in 2013 by architects Núria Vílchez Sánchez and Gerard Ribot Mumbrú. Based in Sabadell (Barcelona) and Madrid, the practice focuses on collective housing, public facilities and urban-scale projects. Since its beginnings, the studio has developed a rigorous and committed approach to architecture, attentive both to technical and regulatory conditions and to the real experience of those who inhabit the spaces.

The work of Next Arquitectura is built upon a deep understanding of the project as a process: analysing, organising and making precise decisions within complex contexts. Their proposals avoid unnecessary gestures and favour clear solutions, where structure, materiality and spatial organisation respond to a logic that is both functional and sensitive.

Educated in architecture at La Salle University in Barcelona, Núria Vílchez and Gerard Ribot share a professional trajectory shaped by continuous practice, project management and team leadership, combining strategic vision with careful attention to detail. Both have developed their careers in constant dialogue with construction reality, resulting in projects that are technically robust and conceptually solid.

In Núria Vílchez’s case, this approach has been further enriched in recent years by an increasingly conscious reflection on the impact of architecture on people. Her recent training in neuroarchitecture represents a natural evolution of a design practice that has always been attentive to wellbeing, perception and user experience. This line of research provides a scientific foundation for intuitions already present in her work, reinforcing an architectural approach that places the relationship between space, body and emotion at its core, without losing technical rigour or design clarity.

Gerard Ribot, meanwhile, brings solid experience in the direction and management of complex projects, as well as a strategic vision of architectural development. His profile combines analytical thinking with a strong ability to structure processes, coordinate teams and translate ideas into coherent and efficient built solutions. This complementarity between the two partners defines the character of the studio and its way of approaching each commission.

Taken together, Next Arquitectura develops a practice that avoids grandiloquent discourse and is grounded instead in consistent work, reflection and professional responsibility. An architecture that does not seek to impose a form, but to understand how we inhabit spaces and how those spaces can tangibly improve everyday life.

Project by Next Arquitectura