After 15 years revitalising the historic centre, the Consorcio do Casco Vello de Vigo is moving its focus to one of the most emblematic areas of the city, the Plaza del Berbés. This project initiates a series of actions aimed at diversifying the population through the creation of quality social housing.
The project´s strategy takes the possibilities of a complicated plot to the limit. The aim is to maximise the living space, avoiding common areas or spaces without natural light.
Current state
We are faced with a three-storey house between party walls which, due to lack of occupation and lack of maintenance, is in a poor state of repair.
The semi-buried configuration makes it impossible for the ground floor and a large part of the first floor to be used for residential purposes. The plot is deep (19 metres) and narrow (3 metres in the central part).
Proposal
In our search for maximum living space, a courtyard is an indispensable strategy. The dimensions of the plot do not allow for a traditional central location. For this reason, it is proposed to locate it in the only widening that allows it: the rear façade. This approach makes it possible to shorten the back of the dwellings, generating a new southeast-facing façade. The appearance of a void increasses compactness and solar access, improving efficiency and comfort.
The courtyard adapts to the different regulations that regulate its floor plan dimensions according to its depth. The level of the courtyard has to be raised by one metre to meet the requirements of natural light. This means that the floor slabs at the rear lose their original position, creating an interesting play of half storeys.
Lightness
The slabs are made of a lightweight steel and timber structure. The stairs are carefully designed to connect the different levels, maximising the entry of light and allowing longitudinal views between the two facades. Access to the upper dwelling will be via a walkway over the proposed courtyard.
The interiors are designed with the utmost simplicity, clear and luminous spaces that allow natural light to be captured. White painted wooden ceilings and a single herringbone tiled floor with some oak details.
Material Used:
Facade cladding: ETICS Baumit Prosystem
Flooring: Vives Cerámica, Moari Goroka Gris 20x20
Windows: Cortizo, Velux
