The Wildlife Observatory
Cordoba/Spain

Size / 1,063m2
Client / Confidencial

The project brings back the traditional corner dome construction, once common in the farmhouses of this region between Extremadura, Castilla, and Andalucía. This area, now home to the world's largest dehesa, owes its prosperity to the centuries-old respect its people have shown for the oak groves that sustain it.

These domes are highly stable with excellent thermal inertia, constructed using the stones that give the valley its name. They follow the traditional logic of storing heavy grain on the upper floor and inhabiting the lower one. Now constructed with concrete and metal formwork, each dome measures 6 x 6 x 4 meters and is arranged along two parallel corridor axes. The concave interior serves as living space, following tradition, while the convex exterior effortlessly integrates into the undulating canopy of endless oaks.

The building is dedicated to observing, caring for, and documenting the wildlife of this exceptional landscape.