Drained water tank becomes curved, earthship-like sunken home

Miguel Royo wanted to preserve the old well and cistern on his family property by turning it into a home. Working with his nephew, architect Alejandro Valdivieso, they built bedrooms inside the old water tank and placed a wooden prefab - that went up in a week - on top to house the living room and kitchen.

The well became defunct in 1965, but was turned into a storage room for over half a century. To preserve as much of the structure as possible, the Royos simply cut a door and windows into the cistern for the bedroom and bathroom spaces and encircled the well with a curved floor-to-ceiling glass façade that houses the open-plan public living spaces. Even the former patio is preserved as a raw stone floor of the dwelling.

“Casa Aljibe” - 'Cistern (or water tank) House’ - sits on the family property next to the homes of Miguel’s siblings so while he has privacy in the downstairs “water tank” portion of his home, his upstairs is completely transparent and open to family visits.

[MAM-cyyy]

Don Miguel said simply, "I love my house, but my family I love more then anything." He understands what really matters in life.

[mynestintheforestt]

Imagine being part of such a family unit. They are really blessed, I think it is rare these days to be so close. And the house, a dream. I cant even say in words how much I love it. Priceless.

[justmaria]

Kirsten, the two of you always find such out of the way and awe inspiring places to feature. You have created a way to inspire and educate us at the same time. Always a pleasurable get

[HundredPercentLuck]

Living so close to your family sounds amazing. Imagine all the celebrations and family time.

[nyanazulu]

Spanish people are incredible, they are so Original and that's consist in returning to their origin by constructing beauties. Their construction are so "Generous" "Grande", like themselves!!! I admire and respect the fact that Family is the center of all !!! Muchas Gracias 🙏

[comedianmattrossey]

Hi Kirsten and Family,
What an awesome design. One thought comes to mind..."What is old is new again". I love when people keep the old structures and repurpose them to give them new life.
This home was once a sistern which housed water to give life. Now, the sistern was given a new life and continues to sustain peoples existence. What a beautiful honour to what was, but to make it more than it had been.

Keep Safe Always,
Matt - Toronto, Canada

[perlitacardenas]

Wow! Beautiful and unique house!. I love that they preserved the vintage furnitures of their parents.😊

[lt]

What a wonderful family village and house!! Come back and show all the houses!!

[Esther-eh]

Surrounded by extended family in an open concept like this would be wonderful. Thanks for sharing. Love it!💗

[SoCalFreelance]

A multi-generational estate. More families should consider this kind of lifestyle / wealth preservation.

[KMF]

How nice to have all your family around. That is my dream.

[chianablue]

I want a family compound like this! So lovely.

[JAMoore-zzki]

@18:00

"We're very close and it's very important."

That really touched my heart. ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

[conniejohnson]

I love these wonderful unique homes of old and new. And the stories that go with them.

[chessbride]

Wie wunderbar hier Mensch, Haus und Natur zusammengefügt wurden. Ich habe selten so ein schönes „Wohnobjekt“ gesehen, in das ich sofort einziehen würde. Es trifft genau meinen Geschmack.

[cobralyoner]

I love outdoor living spaces. great spot to live for sure! and great video, thanks for sharing all these amazing places with us Kirstin and family!

[ruththomas]

What a lovely home. And all the family near. Perfect.

[tamiweber]

The house looks like a boomerang 🌟 This is a incredible family owned township 💜

[mjinhamburg]

Thank you Kirsten and family, you consistently make fascinating films of unusual and interesting homes and give us the personal stories of the owners. ❤

[stevengilleyOU]

One of my favorite episodes. Yet, there are so many favorites!