With the ocean in sight, The Truffle is an unusual vacation home built within a rock. The inhabitable concrete stone is located in Costa de Morte, Spain and was designed by Ensamble Estudio in collaboration with Ricardo Sanz and Javier Cuesta. Its 25 square-meter minimalist decor has everything you’d need for a peaceful getaway, and includes a raised platform bed, modest bath, and built-in fireplace.
The most striking feature of The Truffle is its exterior, which simultaneously looks natural and man-made. It was fabricated by the architects in a tedious, multi-step process. First, they dug a hole in the ground and blocked out an interior space using hay bales. Concrete and later topsoil was poured around the bales to bury their work and let it dry. These steps were repeated until they had an enormous rock beneath the soil. Afterwards, it was exhumed from the ground.
With the giant stone extracted, there was little left but concrete and hay. It took a calf named Paulina a year to eat through the hay bales and clear the room. The use of this material not only provided generous snacking for the animal, but imprinted an interesting texture into the concrete. Its long stalks add a permanently rustic and cavernous feel to this coastal home.
Ensamble Estudio
via [Fubiz and ArchDaily]