A red brick wall spans the gap between two crumblingĀ facades on a street in Catalonia, hiding a home byĀ H ArquitectesĀ withĀ two courtyards and a central garden (+ slideshow).
Wooden gates slide back from the lower storey of the brick facade, situated just outside Barcelona in the centre of the old city of Granollers, into an enclosed patio and parking areaĀ to the rear ofĀ House 1014 byĀ H Arquitectes.
The property is set in the centre of a gully just 6.5 metres wide running the width of a block between existing properties.
Two brick patios bracket the family home, offering a sheltered transition area from street accesses on either side of the block, while a further garden splits the spaceĀ into two distinct halves ā one for more private domestic activities, and another for entertainment.
Retractable glass and metal roofs cover the patios, capturing heat in winter and providing shadeĀ in summer.
An original stone facade with ornamental window frames and an arched doorway was preserved by the architects to create a pedestrian entrance from a street on the other side of the block.
"Owing to the dilapidated state of the existing building, only the main facade, reasonably well preserved and offering a certain heritage value, could be maintained," said the architects.
The uneven blockwork of the new facade, with veinsĀ of narrow brick running through its regularly arranged rows, references the original irregular stone masonry.Ā A sliding timber door provides vehicle access.
"Diverse structural requirements of the masonry work produce different rhythms and textures achieving new expressiveness,"Ā said the team.
TheĀ arched doorway in the old facade opens from the main street into a brick-lined outdoor spaceĀ adjacent to the domestic area, which contains a family kitchen where a lamp with a large metallic hood hangs low over a wooden table.
Bedrooms are located on the two upperĀ storeys.Ā One room for children features aĀ chunky bunk bed and storage unit that allows sleepers on the upper deck to glimpse views of the garden.
A wooden door exits from a ground floor living space into the garden at the centre of the plot. Across the garden, a further two-storey building provides a large living and dining area for entertaining guests.
"The sequence of spaces creates some kind of ambiguity about what is an interior or exterior space," said the architects.
Photography is by AdriĆ Goula.
Project credits:
Architectural team: H Arquitectes (David Lorente, Josep Ricart, Xavier Ros, Roger TudĆ³)
Collaborators: Blai Cabrero Bosch, Montse FornĆ©s GuĆ rdia, Carla PiƱol Moreno,Ā Ramon Anton,
Interior design: FƔtima Vilaseca
Installations: Igetech / Ćbac enginyers
Landscape: Anna Esteve
