La Casa Roja, Montanchez, Extremadura 2005-10

Sited on the saddle of a ridge in the Sierra de Montánchez, Extremadura, La Casa Roja was designed as a weekend retreat and family vacation home. The principal view is to the east and the sierras rising to Guadalupe. The view west is to the castillo and the village.

The house is entirely off-grid. Water is pumped from a well, heated by south-facing solar panels on the serrated roof line. Electricity is provided by photovoltaic panels and batteries located next to, and inside, a former sheep pen. The prevailing wind is westerly providing welcome ventilation in the summer months.

For some years the Sierra de Montánchez has been under threat from large corporations wanting to invest in alternative energy projects, mainly wind farms and photovoltaics. In my article in Places Journal I conclude with this thought:

It is possible to preserve the planet and the landscape, with all that the latter implies of culture and way of life. Reducing the demand for energy and resources, decentralizing and downsizing energy production, and placing a value on the quality of life embedded in a place are, at the very least, guidelines for a just and humane way toward a fossil-free future — and the preservation of a landscape for the ages.