Summer House Transformations: New Trends in How Families Enjoy the Mediterranean Landscape in Costa Blanca

Abstract

This essay explores the transformations of summer houses in the Costa Blanca, a coastal region in southeastern Spain whose identity has been shaped by decades of residential tourism. While high-rise tourist developments such as Benidorm have attracted widespread academic attention, the proliferation of single-family houses since the 1970s remains less studied. Drawing on five ethnographic accounts, the article examines how successive generations of residents—local families, North European retirees, and digital nomads—have adapted, extended, and repurposed these dwellings. The research is framed by the Consultorio de la Costa Blanca, a design consultancy inspired by the Community Architect method, which has assisted over a hundred families in renovating their properties. These stories reveal a paradox at the heart of suburban landscapes of leisure: houses are bought to enjoy and preserve the Mediterranean landscape but their continual transformation alters its character. The essay analyzes how ideals of outdoor living, economic considerations, and the pursuit of sustainability converge in design decisions—from adding pools and terraces to reclaiming agricultural land patterns or integrating ecological materials. Drawing on Donna Haraway’s notion of the “quiet country,” the text interrogates whether these suburban landscapes, shaped by global consumption and mobility, can ever become places where care and ecological continuity are visible. Ultimately, the study shows that summer houses are not merely real estate assets but material expressions of shifting aspirations and a collective desire to anchor lives within a landscape that is simultaneously valued and transformed.Generalitat Valenciana (CIGE 2023/227