Roses is a seaside town in the Alt Empordà, in the province of Girona, at the head of the bay of Roses and on the southern half of the Cap de Creus peninsula. With around 20,365 inhabitants (2025) and a municipal area of 45.9 km², the strong and persistent tramuntana makes airtightness a key factor: a Passivhaus envelope holds comfort steady even with wind and sea salt.
Roses combines the life of a seaside town with a very active residential market, where primary homes coexist with a strong second-home component tied to the marina, the beach and tourism. The population has grown from 3,575 inhabitants in 1960 to 20,365 in 2025, a rise driven by tourism, and the bay, the town centre and the nearby developments concentrate much of the demand for new build.
The coastal climate, marked by the tramuntana and by summer heat, makes airtightness against the wind and summer cooling decisive factors in energy consumption. With the town centre at only around 5 m above sea level and highly exposed, the Passivhaus standard and the Eskimohaus® system respond directly to this challenge with a highly insulated, airtight envelope prepared for coastal salinity.
Building in Roses calls for respect for the landscape of the bay and the Cap de Creus, as well as for the town's heritage. The Ciutadella, a bastioned Renaissance fortress ordered by Charles V in the mid-16th century, and the monastery of Santa Maria, founded around the year 960, define a protected historical context. We work on integration from the first sketch, reconciling Passivhaus performance with the architectural language the Empordà requires.
A tramuntana climate, landscape protection and a town with protected heritage. Roses calls for sensitivity to context.
Thermal performance, not display.
Our method in Roses starts from a clear premise. In a tramuntana climate, a home's value is measured by its ability to hold comfort on the least possible energy and without air infiltration. Orientation and solar gain are worked to balance winter gain and summer protection; the envelope is insulated and sealed until thermal bridges and wind infiltration are eliminated; the joinery and heat-recovery ventilation guarantee clean air and a stable temperature even through a persistent tramuntana; the materials are chosen with coastal salinity in mind; and the palette stays coherent with the landscape of the bay and the Cap de Creus. Landscape integration is resolved before the technical design is closed, to avoid late reworking.
The centre of Roses concentrates the seaside life and heritage of the town, with the Ciutadella, a bastioned fortress of the mid-16th century, subject to a protection regime. The area around the marina and the bay is one of the most valued residential settings. The nearby developments, opening towards the Cap de Creus and the protected spaces, with Cap Norfeu as an integral nature reserve within the municipality, offer larger plots with sea-view orientations. To the south of the bay, the municipality also borders the Aiguamolls de l'Empordà. Each area has its own planning regime and landscape sensitivity.
It makes a great deal of sense. The stronger and more persistent the wind, the more air infiltration weighs on consumption and the greater the return from a highly insulated, airtight envelope. A Passivhaus home in Roses holds comfort steady even in a tramuntana.
Yes. Passivhaus is a performance requirement, not a style. It is fully compatible with the town's architectural language and with the landscape sensitivity the bay and the Cap de Creus require, the first maritime-terrestrial natural park in Catalonia.
The design prioritises airtightness against the tramuntana, summer solar protection and heat-recovery ventilation. The home stays at a stable temperature with no thermal loss or infiltration, and the materials are chosen to withstand coastal salinity.
Resolution usually runs between 8 and 16 weeks from complete documentary submission, with extensions possible on plots affected by landscape or heritage protection around the Ciutadella.
Building in Roses is not something to settle with an automatic configurator. The plot, the exposure to the tramuntana, the relationship with the landscape and the applicable planning regime are variables that call for direct dialogue. A conversation with one of our architects will give you more than any online estimate.