International Agency Landscape

Private garden at Residence Can Aubarca 17, Ibiza, Balearic Islands

Private garden at Residence Can Aubarca 17, Ibiza, Balearic Islands

The Can Aubarca 17 residence has been landscaped by I A L with a collection of Mediterranean shrubs and perennials and wooden pavilions. Our approach to the project was inspired by the shelters found in this Balearic region, and also by the site and the existing landscape: simple centuries-old stone buildings that mediate between people and nature, offering tranquil and intimate views while respecting the wildlife of the island region. We separated the elements of the brief into a series of connected garden sections that nestle into the landscape, arranged informally around a central nature walk.

In early 2016, I A L was commissioned to design the Can Aubarca 17 garden. This luxury Balearic sea and mountain residence is a reinterpretation of the vernacular beach hut found on beaches throughout the Balearic archipelago, dating back to Elizabethan times. The traditional house would be built from vernacular materials collected by members of the community and moulded to form the skin of the building. Mediterranean limestone would be moulded into the concrete shell of the beach hut, which would eventually be stripped of its skin to reveal the negative form of the structural pine wood. Plant beds enveloping the complex insert the dwelling into the surrounding landscape.

The traditional Balearic orchard is laid out to achieve the best views of the nearby Mediterranean. Each shrub bed has a different plant structure and houses within its contours a wide variety of perennial and aromatic plants that preserve the memory of the place; the effect is perceived from afar, and protects and invites the nature of the reserve and acts as an environmental buffer towards the interior.

The sectors of this family garden are linked by typically Mediterranean tree structures that serve a similar function, with trees and pines inserted into the surrounding island landscape. The regenerated landscape will permeate all views from the villa, giving the feeling that they have always been there and the garden has grown naturally around them.