SP Housing

Program
Two dwelling refurbishment
Location
Barcelona
Year
2024-ongoing

The project, located in a building between party walls, involves the transformation of a duplex into two dwellings for two young couples.

The main condition of the project is established by the building’s own structure. The load-bearing walls are parallel to the façade, creating two bays: one with plenty of light, facing the façade; and the other with little natural light, facing the building's lightwell.

Based on this condition, the main decision of the project is to locate the bedrooms and bathroom in the interior bay, turning the bay facing the façade into a single space designated for daytime activities: living, dining, working, studying, and cooking.

The low budget has determined the constructive solutions adopted. A single material—white microcement—was chosen as the cladding solution for all rooms, while the interior carpentry elements were optimized so that there is only one carpentry element, which houses the doors to the laundry room, the bathroom, and a small closet for the entry room.

Therefore, it is expected that the character of the dwellings will not emerge from the architecture, neutral and white, but rather from the life and objects they contain. In this sense, the project acts as a box that holds what is fundamental—the lives and personal stories of those who inhabit the home’s spaces.