The project in terram is based on the interpretation of the term commensality, a concept that suggests the act of gathering to share food and enjoy each other's company. This act, which has evolved over time, can now be associated with formal situations, such as banquets or weddings, or with more informal gatherings, such as picnics or fast food. The essential thing is who you share it with and the space that hosts it. But when did this act begin and become defined? 

If we go back to prehistoric times, communal dining originated with those first social gatherings of human beings, under a cave and around a fire. That is why this project to convey the spatial sensation of being under something, underground or on the earth.

To continue with this purpose, it is essential to understand the environment where it is located: Quinta de los Molinos. This historic estate covers 21 hectares and has several access points, the main one being on the south side via Calle de Alcalá, leaving the north side less traveled, where the only focus of activity is concentrated in the historic mansion. The topography rises from south to north, with a difference in elevation of 17 meters between the extreme points, highlighting the topographical jumps and maximum elevation in the northwest area, which is the most unattractive part of the complex. 

These conditions, its topography, and lower activity make the northwest area the ideal location for a project dialogues with the land, burying itself or integrating into it, while also contributing to the revitalization of the area.

After thoroughly analyzing the area, considering its limitations, opportunities, and existing architectural elements and constraints, a project was proposed project on three axes, the main one being a southeast-northwest diagonal that organizes the program from the most public to the most private: from dining to the residency program. The ascending, "entrenched" route structures the entire complex. No Issue above the contour line, except for the dining dome, given its leading role in the project, and the residential block for reasons of habitability. Courtyards and skylights are created to ensure natural lighting and ventilation inside.

The project gradually revealed as it is sectioned, in plan, by different levels down to 686 m, one of which can be seen in its entirety, covering a usable area of 1,052 m². Five access points are proposed: three via ramps and two refurbished elements, the pediment and the existing stairs.

The structure is built with reinforced concrete retaining walls, allowing it to be buried, semi-buried, or open-air, minimizing the visual impact on the environment and integrating naturally into the landscape. This material, which is fine-grained and offers a smooth and precise finish, is the predominant feature of project. In addition, walnut wood is used to add warmth, especially in the residential area where, in addition, beds embedded or sunk into the ground are proposed to reinforce the feeling of being grounded, of belonging to the earth.

Thus, in terram is conceived as a return to origins: a space where dining regains its primitive meaning of meeting , reinterpreted through architecture that unites nature, subject human experience. 

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