The Danish architect Jørn Utzon designed a series of houses in Europe between the 1950s and the 1990s. His approach to these projects reflects a deep commitment to both the landscapes and the technical possibilities of each location. On one hand, there is a profound understanding of the opportunities and challenges posed by the surrounding natural environment. On the other hand, the local industry is regarded as the optimal supplier of materials, techniques, and labor. This responsiveness to context and construction is exemplified by the Middleboe House, where concrete and timber articulate a dialogue with the nearby river; by Can Lis in Mallorca, where local sandstone anchors the dwelling to the Mediterranean cliffs; and by the Kingo Houses, whose brick construction draws on traditional Danish building practices while promoting a modular and community-oriented layout. Through the study of the three houses built in very different landscape and sociocultural contexts, this research aims to highlight the architect’s respectful, optimistic, and rigorous approach to domestic architecture. This approach results in significant variability when addressing aesthetics, volume, programmatic needs, the extension of spaces to the outdoors, and construction details.
Adelaida del Puerto García: PhD Architect Polytechnic University of Madrid and the Università degli Studi di Firenze. Professor at the School of Architecture of Toledo at UCLM. Her research focuses on sustainability. She has organized international congresses and workshops in Toledo and has presented lectures at the Spanish Pavilion of the Venice Biennale and Universities such as the University for the Creative Arts of Surrey (UK), La Sapienza in Rome, Universidade Lusofona de Lisboa, the University of California, Arizona State University and Laussanne EPFL in Switzerland in 2025.