Featuring a trapezoidal plan, Masía en Santa Eulalia de Ronçana by NeuronaLab is a restoration of a rural farmhouse outside Barcelona. Retaining the original character of the region, many materials were reused, including those from demolition works.
The project’s starting point was a re-consolidation of the envelope, improving the performance of the building’s shell with projected cork insulation. An in-depth study of sunlight, natural cross-ventilation and the use of well water with a filter system was also carried out to ensure optimal design.
The existing house previously accommodated horse stables or chicken coops. As such, the relatively small spaces were poorly connected and there were few openings in the building towards the garden that surrounds.
NeuronaLab worked to functionally improve this layout, with an emphasis on providing fluid mobility throughout the house and opening up the once completely closed northern façade with the addition of a summer porch. The flexible floorplan now comprises two rooms but can accommodate up to 12 guests.
Original terracotta and concrete floors, natural stone and wood were largely retained as part of the interior concept to ensure a sense of connection with the agrarian roots and original character of the space. ‘These approaches ensure that (the house’s) inhabitants connect with the natural environment, surrounded by vegetation, reducing their stress level so characteristic of urban life,’ NeuronaLab says.
