A few days ago, we sat down with Hector and Catalina from Salvà Ortín Arquitectes, an architecture, urban planning, and landscape studio operating from Mallorca and Barcelona, and a team that has been recognized twice for its work. In 2017 and 2019, Hector Ortín and Catalina Salvà won the EUROPAN International Competition for Young Architects. In addition to their architectural practice, they contribute their knowledge, professionalism, and dedication to research and teaching.
When asked about their passion or the part of the design process they enjoy the most, both agree that the most rewarding moment is listening to the users who commissioned their services and hearing about their experience once they inhabit the spaces created for them.
We also asked which architectural professional they would be thrilled to collaborate with, and their answer was immediate: the renowned architect Carme Pinós, a major reference for both of them.
If you were a lamp…
The Disa lamp by Juan Antonio Coderch.
A lamp that creates ambient light, evokes intimacy, and transports us to a scene reminiscent of sitting close to the warm glow of a fireplace.
About the project La Casa de Es Carritxó
La Casa de Es Carritxó is a residence developed across three levels—ground floor, first floor, and basement/semi-basement—with a full layout including five en-suite bedrooms and generous communal spaces, totalling more than 500 m².
Located on a rural plot, the house sits exactly where an old ruined building once stood, occupying a similar footprint. The design seeks to orient the home toward the beautiful views of Puig de Sant Salvador and the surrounding mountain system.
The intention behind the project was to create a modern home, seamlessly integrated into the natural environment, built with local materials, and adapted to the highly restrictive formal requirements of the local building regulations.
The volumes are simple and blend into the landscape, while the outdoor areas are conceived as natural extensions of the indoor spaces.
The challenge:
Achieving a very bright home with multiple views of the surrounding landscape, despite strict local regulations limiting the surface area of façade openings.
The anecdote:
The predominant material of the house is Santanyí Stone (a particularly resistant type of marès) used on the exterior façades, window frames, benches, and even as vaulted slabs on the interior ceilings. One of the main reasons for choosing this material is that it comes from a quarry located just a few kilometres away, within the same municipality—making it the most appropriate choice for the project.
How important is lighting in your projects?
Lighting is essential in any architectural project. Since light is what makes it possible to perceive spaces and volumes, it is impossible to understand architecture without it. For this reason, we always approach our projects by first studying sunlight and natural lighting, and only in a second phase do we address artificial lighting.
How does lighting influence La Casa de Es Carritxó?
Lighting is key to this project. Every space was designed to ensure good views, natural light, and cross ventilation. Isolated homes often risk feeling darker inside because the exterior is so bright. Here, we created an entrance space using darker materials to produce a contrast that enhances the perception of the rest of the rooms as being as luminous as the outdoors. Large openings allow generous light to enter and guide the gaze toward the beautiful surrounding views.
For artificial lighting, a discreet and efficient approach was chosen, combined with subtle decorative elements in the entrance, dining room, and living area. Outdoors, the illumination works from perimeter elements—walls and benches—and from the window openings themselves, avoiding direct lighting on the façade surfaces, except for the entrance.
How was your collaboration with WorldLight?
We began collaborating with World Light Estudio during the construction phase, working from the original lighting executive project we had developed with direct support from ERCO. During this phase, World Light helped us with the final adjustments and adaptations needed throughout the construction process.
Why would you recommend WorldLight to other professionals?
Because of the team’s exceptional efficiency. Throughout the entire process of La Casa de Es Carritxó, the attention and support provided were always excellent and extremely effective.
