Can Monges

The project for this house in Majorca, going by the motto ‘think global, act local,’ aimed for zero pollution and the use of materials readily available on the island.

Hemp, line, and marés – with their great thermal and insulating qualities – are materials traditionally used on the Balearic island. Businesses in the area provided clay and ceramic for the downspouts and gutters, and rubble left over from paving and tiling on the actual building site was also harnessed. With all this Can Monges was an opportunity to experiment, maintaining age-old vernacular construction techniques while reducing the ecological footprint of the building process.

The facade walls were consolidated with material generated by the previous demolition, and the marés blocks of the old dryer were recycled for the furniture of the kitchen and bathrooms. The lintels of the new openings on the facade were built with material from the preexisting pavement, and many of the doorways are left exposed, so the inside of the marés can be appreciated. The floors and ceilings are given a layer of lime plaster, giving the interior of the house an aesthetic continuity.