Architects in Monte Picayo
We design single-family houses in Monte Picayo, a luxury urbanisation born in 1972 on the Sierra Calderona, with views over the sea and the Marjal del Moro wetland and now undergoing a clear revaluation. We support every project from the first meeting to the handover.
Monte Picayo: the old casino’s urbanisation, above the Calderona
Monte Picayo is a luxury urbanisation within the municipality of Sagunto, on the first foothills of the Sierra Calderona, with views over the Mediterranean and the Marjal del Moro wetland. It was created in 1972 as a National Tourist Interest Centre, a singular "tourist village" of barely 28 hectares and some 190 very low-density buildings.
Its history is tied to the Casino-Hotel Monte Picayo, opened in 1979 —the second casino in Spain— and an emblem of 1980s Valencian high society until its closure in 2014. The push of Sagunto’s new industrial hub and the recent purchase of the former casino have revalued the area, today one of the most exclusive in northern Valencia, with villas above one million euros.
The hillside topography is the dominant condition: sloping plots, a mild microclimate and exceptional views. Stepping the house down the terrain —instead of forcing large earthworks— captures light and sea views, resolves the terraces with judgement and gains privacy between floors.
We do not propose ready-made imagery. Every project starts from a reading of the plot and of how its owners want to live, and is ordered through Sagunto’s planning —setbacks, heights, occupation and hillside conditions— and the urbanisation’s community, to reach permit and site without surprises.
What we resolve in Monte Picayo
We design the house from the plot: brief, orientation, light, circulation and materiality. A single idea holds each project, from concept and permit to the construction documents.
A careful study of the existing condition, a structural review and a proposal coherent with what is worth keeping. A full refurbishment demands the same rigour as new construction.
The interior is designed together with the architecture: joinery, bespoke furniture, lighting and materials are part of the same set of decisions.
We support the works to the built result: project and execution management, safety coordination and close collaboration with the builder. What is drawn well is built well.
We work with passive criteria and Passivhaus certification, renewable energy and rational decisions for a healthy and economically coherent architecture, with BIM methodology and permit and budget tracking.
How we work on every project
A structure of precision
Rubén Muedra Arquitectura is a studio founded in 2010, based in Valencia with a presence in Madrid, Ibiza and the Costa Blanca. Design, development, technical, visualisation, construction, structures and technology share a single working logic: turning talent into a common culture of precision.
Recent projects
Before we start
Between 18 and 30 months from commission to handover: 8-12 months of design and permits, and 14-20 of construction. On steep plots it is wise to allow time for the geotechnical study and the foundations.
We read the topography from the start and step the house down the slope, avoiding large earthworks. This captures the sea views, resolves terraces and access, and gains privacy between floors.
Yes. Monte Picayo has its owners’ community, its own water supply and controlled access. We take it into account for access, services and site logistics.
Sagunto’s municipal planning (setbacks, heights, occupation) with particular attention to hillside conditions. We verify it plot by plot in the concept design.
Yes, with certified experience in passive criteria and Passivhaus. On a sunny hillside with a mild microclimate, passive solutions and renewables perform especially well.
Both. The full refurbishment of a villa in Monte Picayo demands the same rigour as new construction: study of the existing condition, structural review and a proposal coherent with what is worth keeping.
Let’s talk about your home in Monte Picayo
A first meeting, with no commitment, to understand your plot and your priorities. From there, we decide together how to approach the project.
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