How this project came about

The Atrium project began with a family who wanted to build their home in one of Alicante’s more established urban areas, a setting where the immediate surroundings didn’t offer much of interest. Rather than force a relationship with an exterior that added little value, the project turned inward: an introspective piece of architecture organised around its own courtyards, where interior layout becomes the true focus of the design.

That’s where the name comes from. Atrium recalls the classical Greco-Roman house, where the central void isn’t leftover space, it’s the living heart of the home.

A path of light

The house is arranged around a main courtyard and several secondary ones, including an English courtyard that recovers and elevates the basement level, folding it into the home’s living spaces rather than treating it as an afterthought. Every room runs through to natural light and stays visually connected to the greenery within.

A detailed study of sunlight patterns in Alicante ensures pleasant light throughout the year and helps regulate indoor temperature without leaning too heavily on artificial climate control. Double-height spaces and cross visual connections between rooms reinforce the sense of scale, while the planting in the courtyards and around the perimeter isn’t decorative add-on, it’s an active part of everyday comfort.

What makes this project distinctive

At Atrium, luxury isn’t understood as a catalogue of finishes, but as a complete experience, spatial, sensory and functional. The architecture is built from the inside out, with clean lines and no superfluous gestures, aiming for quality that comes through in every joint and transition, not just in the most visible elements.

The central courtyard organises the home’s circulation and uses, frames its views, and controls both light and natural ventilation. Every technical decision serves the same goal: reducing visual noise and reinforcing the coherence of the whole, with construction solutions that support the architecture rather than compete with it.

Materials and atmosphere

The materiality is resolved through a calm palette and continuous surfaces: wood at points of contact, high-performance joinery, and natural stone in key areas. Natural light enters filtered through courtyards and pergolas, while artificial lighting is layered discreetly to preserve visual comfort in every room.

A collaboration between studio and builder

The Atrium project is the result of a close collaboration between Areca Studio and Blues Simon Group. Areca Studio defined the geometry, the courtyards and the project’s approach to light; Blues Simon Group ensured that every detail, from structure to finishes, was executed with rigour, on schedule and to a consistent standard of quality, staying true to the original design.

At its core, the Atrium project is a house built from the inside, architecture, technique and nature working in balance to create a calm, coherent home in every detail.

By Areca Studio & Blues Simon Group