This off-grid homestead includes two handcrafted natural homes, a geodesic dome greenhouse built from local stone, a hand-dug stream, two natural swimming ponds, a bamboo maze, and a thriving permaculture garden and orchard with over 2,000 plants. It’s a place where the home doesn’t just shelter you—it feeds you, cools and heats itself, filters your air, and invites you to slow down and live well.
source.image: Kirsten Dirksen
It’s the work of Vicente Nadal, a pioneer in natural building in his part of Spain. Tucked away in a quiet canyon near Alicante—just beyond the bustle of the Mediterranean coast— he’s blending ancient building knowledge with smart, low-tech innovation. Vicente believes the future lies in remembering what we’ve forgotten: using local materials, designing with the climate, and creating homes that actually give back.
source.image: Kirsten Dirksen
Here, nearly everything is made from stone, lime, and wood found on the land. The main house—once a plain stucco structure—is now full of organic curves and warmth, with thick walls that insulate and sculpted heated benches built into the design. The smaller home features a clever modular wall system that converts the open-plan studio into a two-bedroom layout in seconds. The dome greenhouse is not only functional, but striking—built by hand with lime mortar and wood for growing food year-round.
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Vicente designs homes that are off-grid and health-enhancing. He uses lime plasters and paints inside and out, which naturally absorb CO₂, filter indoor air, and resist mold and bacteria. For cooling, a DIY “Canadian Well” system (AKA earth-coupled air cooling system) brings in fresh air from underground. For heating, thermal inertia stoves made with natural materials release warmth slowly over 24 hours using minimal wood—heating both the space and the built-in seating with efficiency and beauty.
The land is shaped to support water and life: a meandering stream crosses under a stone Roman-style bridge, feeding two deep, natural ponds that help filter water and provide a habitat for frogs, dragonflies, and fish. There’s even an outdoor limestone shower that, four years on, still looks like new—thanks to limestone’s natural resistance to stains and microbes.
