Ibiza Interiors turns dry-stone stables into flexible guesthouse
CategoriesInterior Design

Ibiza Interiors turns dry-stone stables into flexible guesthouse

A 200-year-old stable building in the mountains of Ibiza has been converted into a vacation home by local studio Ibiza Interiors.

The Atelier is one of four dwellings that make up Campo – a group of rentable guesthouses set in a finca, or farmstead, in the island’s Morna Valley.

View through large opening into a neutral-toned interiorView through large opening into a neutral-toned interior
Campo Atelier is located in a renovated dry-stone stable building

Ibiza Interiors founder Jurjen Van Hulzen has renovated these buildings one by one to enhance their original features and create a series of tranquil getaway spots.

“Nestled between carob and orange trees, the Atelier […] appears at the end of the path as a haven of peace,” said the Dutch architect, who founded the studio in 2014.

Room with wooden ceiling beams, polished concrete floor and a dining tableRoom with wooden ceiling beams, polished concrete floor and a dining table
The main space is designed for flexible use

The single-storey dry-stone structure is typical of the local vernacular but now features a large retractable glass wall across its front.

A polished concrete patio continues inside, where exposed timber ceiling beams and wooden doors complement the neutral colour palette.

“Textures and styles are not afraid to cohabit and the emphasis is on the interplay between old and contemporary, elegant and rustic,” said Van Hulzen.

A small kitchenette with wood-panelled cupboards and doors either sideA small kitchenette with wood-panelled cupboards and doors either side
A small kitchenette with wood-panelled cupboards matches the doors on either side

The main space contains a small kitchenette on one side and a dining table that doubles as a workspace on the other.

A seating area comprising low, comfy sofas is positioned towards the back.

A minimally furnished bedroom with built-in storageA minimally furnished bedroom with built-in storage
The minimally furnished bedroom includes built-in storage

The interior is designed to be as flexible as possible, with all of the furniture except the kitchen counters moveable to provide space for exercise or meditation.

Equally, the linen curtains can be drawn and the sofas reoriented for watching movies on a projected screen.

The bedroom is minimally furnished but guests can store their belongings within built-in closets while another glass door opens to the exterior.

In the bathroom, lit from above by a skylight, a large tub made of dark stone is accented with matte black hardware.

A grey stone bathtub illuminated by a skylightA grey stone bathtub illuminated by a skylight
In the bathroom, a grey stone tub is illuminated by a skylight

The landscaping around the Atelier was designed by Ibiza Exteriors, a new offshoot of Ibiza Interiors created by Van Hulzen and Alicia Uldall.

The pair chose local flora attuned to the island’s climate that requires minimal maintenance such as stipa grasses, aloe, rosemary and mastic trees.

A 200-year-old building sat into the hillsideA 200-year-old building sat into the hillside
The 200-year-old building sits on a hillside, with its flat roof accessible via stairs

Deep steps lead up to the flat roof that serves as a picnic or sunbathing spot overlooking the valley. The dining table and chairs can also be brought outside for al fresco dining among the vegetation.

“Like the Atelier, the garden preserves the wild essence of this land and its genuine beauty,” Van Hulzen said.

Wooden dining table outdoorsWooden dining table outdoors
The dining table can be brought outdoors for al fresco meals

Better known for its party scene, Ibiza is becoming ever more popular as a wellness and relaxation destination – particularly away from its coast.

Many of the island’s historic fincas have been converted into secluded accommodations including the remote Aguamadera resort and the members-only retreat La Granja.

The photography is by Ariadna Puigdomenech.

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Natural Material Studio creates “flexible” bio textile from waste bricks
CategoriesSustainable News

Natural Material Studio creates “flexible” bio textile from waste bricks

Copenhagen-based Natural Material Studio and designer Zuzanna Skurka have created an installation at Milan design week from soft bio textiles made from surplus bricks.

Called Brick Textiles, the project is on display at Alcova – a travelling exhibition platform for independent design that is held at a different disused site in Milan each year.

Hanging textiles made from waste bricks and bioplastic
Natural Material Studio and Zuzanna Skurka created textiles from waste bricks

Natural Material Studio worked with Polish designer and researcher Zuzanna Skurka to create the textiles from highly porous repurposed bricks that were classified as waste after demolition projects.

“Rule one is, you should work with materials that are already there,” studio founder Bonnie Hvillum told Dezeen in Milan.

Slabs of biomaterial at Alcova 2023 in a former slaughterhouse, by Natural Material Studio
The project is on display at Alcova in Milan

The textiles were made from a combination of crushed bricks bonded together with Procel – a home-compostable, protein-based bioplastic of natural softener and pigments developed by Natural Material Studio.

Featuring a distinctly reddish hue, the textiles were divided into large, roughly-cut slabs that hang suspended from the roof on metal bars in a room at Alcova to form a dramatic installation illuminated by skylights.

Swirly pattern on reddish-hued Brick Textiles by Natural Material Studio
Swirly patterns made by the crushed bricks characterise the textile

Natural Material Studio and Skurka drew upon traditional weaving techniques to create the textile, which was made by incorporating bricks and Procel into a “biomaterial matrix”, according to Hvillum.

The material owes its strength, colour and texture to the bricks, which create unique swirly patterns on each slab that are produced randomly during the “fluid casting process”, she explained.

Hanging textiles that form a "biomaterial matrix" on display at Milan design week
Hvillum described the product as a “biomaterial matrix”

“We were very curious about this question of how can architecture be flexible, more simple and translucent even? added Hvillum. “It’s all the opposite aspects of a brick.”

“When we think of brick it’s like a solid, rigid, structural wall,” she continued. “But how can we make more flexible and fluid architecture today?”

Hanging textiles and old bricks at Alcova
Examples of the bricks the designers used are positioned underneath the textiles

Holes were pierced into the corners of the slabs so that they can be linked together.

While the water-resistant textile is already being used by interior architects as room dividers, Hvillum said that the studio hopes that one day it could form whole walls.

“The way we build and how we live in the built environment shapes us, so if we can build a more flexible and organic biomaterial, we want to start the exploration of what that experience is,” she continued.

This year, the Alcova exhibition takes place at a former slaughterhouse in Porta Vittoria. The formation of brick-based textiles hangs from metal bars where meat once hung at the site.

“There’s something funny and a little bit rough about that image,” acknowledged Hvillum.

Hanging reddish hued bio textiles by Natural Material Studio
The textiles hang where meat was once suspended in the former slaughterhouse

The materials specialist explained that Brick Textiles intends to salvage something from the past and propose fresh ways of thinking about an existing resource.

“It’s new materials we’re developing, so we still don’t know everything about them,” she reflected. “And that’s the beauty and honesty of it.”

Established in 2018, Natural Material Studio has created a number of repurposed materials for wide-ranging projects. These include crockery for a seafood restaurant made from leftover scallop shells and clothing created with algae, clay and foam.

Brick Textiles is on display at Alcova from 17 to 23 April 2023 as part of Milan design week. See our Milan design week 2023 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.



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