The landscape intervention around Can Farrés stems from a profound respect for the site, its unique geology, and its deep cultural roots. Located in El Bruc, in the heart of the Montserrat Natural Park near Barcelona, the project transforms the outdoor spaces of a 15th-century farmhouse—now converted into a hotel—with the aim of establishing a sensitive dialogue between architecture, nature, and tradition.

Geological spirituality, architecture rooted in place

Can Farrés sits at the foot of Montserrat, a landscape that is both geologically and culturally symbolic. scob’s proposal embraces this unique setting to create a landscape experience that doesn't seek to stand out, but rather to blend in. Local materials, simple geometries, and a restrained palette of elements allow the architecture to dissolve into the landscape and elevate the character of the site.

Conglomerate rock—the geological backbone of Montserrat—is used to shape paths, platforms, and retaining walls. Handcrafted ceramic bricks from the local area draw connections between past and present. Light steel trellises recall the traditional agricultural structures found throughout the region.

Empathy as a design method

scob works through empathy with place: it doesn’t impose, it interprets. The intervention is not a collection of objects, but a system that reads the topography, light, and rhythms of use to generate respectful, emotionally resonant relationships. In doing so, it restores an old alliance: that between architecture and landscape as a shared code for inhabiting.

Restoring the link between architecture and landscape.

A hotel rooted in the spirit of place

Thanks to this intervention, Can Farrés now presents itself as a hotel with strong local identity and introspective atmosphere, offering guests a deeply grounded experience tied to the mountain and its spiritual symbolism. The terraces, footpaths, gathering spaces, and rest areas allow visitors to explore the surroundings with serenity—among materials, memory, and horizon.

Sustainability Criteria 

• Reuse of pre-existing elements: stone walls, terraces, native vegetation
• Exclusive use of native species to reinforce biodiversity
• Draining pavements and passive water management systems
• No high-intensity lighting to prevent light pollution in the natural park