Creating a comfortable family home that effectively deals with site restrictions and a sensitive cultural and historical context - while remaining innovative and aesthetically consistent - is a challenge for any architect. And yet, Barcelona-based Josep Ferrando's latest house in Spain's Sant-Cugat - a Catalan town known for its rich cultural heritage - does just that.
Casa Sant-Cugat is a hidden gem within a historical hub. The architect kept the existing street façade and it is only when entering the house that the contrast between old and new becomes visible. With this project, construction and preservation issues were present from the word go, and it seemed that a constant battle between finding structural solutions and creating a beautiful home would be inevitable. The house's external façade and roof were listed, so no changes were possible there. At the same time, the building had to be less than five metres wide and had to deal with a complex topography, as the site was constrained between two streets with a considerable level difference.
Take an interactive tour of House in Cugat
The solution is found within the house's clever internal arrangement. A new structure made from concrete blocks was built inside the original historical one, fitted between the neighbouring houses' walls. Three distinct volumes were created within; one acts as a storage space, another is dedicated to circulation and the third hosts all the primary rooms. The architect used a Raumplan model internally - this is a layout method that works with individual rooms, instead of open plan spaces, and creates a balance of discreet and dynamic areas in the house. Interiors spread across four levels. A void runs through each floor.
Laminated wooden panels and the L-shaped metal profiles holding them define the interior. The wood is left exposed throughout the house creating a warm and comfortable environment. The height difference between the floors generates views across levels and allows light to penetrate everywhere. The void that runs through the upper levels helps with that, while also acting as the house's heart and main public area.
The architect was not allowed to touch the front façade and the roof, as they are both listed
Planning regulations and the plot's narrow shape meant that the building could not be any larger than five metres wide
The house's first floor features an open space that encompases a kitchen, breakfast bar and dinning area
The interiors feature laminated wood panels that are left exposed
Natural sunlight penetrates the building through openings such as the wooden doors on the ground floor that lead out to the rear garden
While the kitchen's wooden panels are left exposed, in keeping with the overall interior style, some finishes, like cupboards, feature colour
One of the house's voids cuts through the kitchen making the space feel bigger
The interplay between the superimposed wood and the exposed concrete structure create a playful contrast
The bespoke wooden shelving running across one of the main walls of the house, means that it has ample storage for the children's toys and books
A central void at the heart of the building unites spaces across different floors
The third floor contains the house's bedrooms and bathrooms - the latter enclosed in a house-shaped explosed wood construction
A level difference between the front and rear of the long and narrow plot gave the architect an added challenge
The area of Sant Cugat is renowed for its history and culture, so preserving the house's historical elements was essential
-
Birkenstock and Tekla offer clogs and pyjamas made to ‘still the mind’Birkenstock 1774 and Danish lifestyle brand Tekla mine a natural affinity with a collection made for ‘contemplation and comfort’
-
Gabriel Tan launches Experimental Editions, a design brand embracing the beauty of imperfection
Experimental Editions is a new brand born from Gabriel Tan's Origin Made with the aim of elevating the artisanal process
-
Terra Carta Design Lab announces second edition
For the Terra Carta Design Lab’s second edition, students and recent alumni are invited to design high-impact, low-cost solutions to address the climate crisis
-
Collective, Hong Kong and Spain: Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2023
With bases in Hong Kong and Spain, Collective joins the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios
-
Nicolás y Nicolás, Spain and Ecuador: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023
With offices in Spain and Ecuador, Nicolás y Nicolás is part of the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios
-
This light-filled Spanish house is defined by openness and geometry
A Spanish house by Arquitecturia Camps Felip is designed around its courtyards and its six volumes’ bold geometry
-
Spain’s Casa Primitiva is ruled by simplicity
The pared-back Casa Primitiva by Hanghar fits in perfectly in its semi-rural Spanish context
-
Architecture for animals leads the way at this school for dogs
Details are designed with dogs in mind at Spain’s Educan School for Dogs, Humans and Other Species
-
Bold graphics and clever interventions define this Barcelona house redesign
Nestled amongst the Roman archaeological remains and buzzing eateries of the Borne district of Barcelona, BSP 20 is Raul Sanchez Architects' latest residential project
-
Girona house’s minimalist drama unfolds behind traditional façade
Casa Pujada del Rey Martí is a new Girona house by Fuses-Viader Architects and Montserrat Nogués Architect in Spain
-
This Costa Brava house makes the most of its rocky site
A new family house in El Port de la Selva, in Spain’s Costa Brava, is designed by architects Marià Castelló and José Antonio Molina
