This residential transformation project reinterprets a 1960s house through a careful strategy of structural reuse, volumetric clarity, and spatial densification. Situated on a corner plot within a heterogeneous urban fabric of varying building scales and typologies, the intervention preserves the footprint and foundational concrete frame of the existing house while extending vertically with a lightweight steel structure engineered to withstand seismic loads.
The architectural language is defined by a sculptural massing of opaque facades and calibrated openings. Responding to the proximity of taller neighboring buildings and the challenge of privacy, the house assumes a monolithic presence. To mediate light and spatial quality, the volume is incised at its western corner—an urban maneuver that introduces an open garden void where distance from surrounding structures and the presence of mature trees allow for both visual relief and solar access.
Internally, the spatial organization revolves around a double-height vertical void that houses the staircase. This central element spatially links the living and kitchen areas on the lower level to the bedrooms and a studio above, while a skylight introduces diffused natural light deep into the interior during morning hours.
The garden, developed across three staggered levels, preserves existing fruit trees and incorporates Mediterranean planting, contributing to passive cooling strategies and spatial continuity between indoor and outdoor living.
From an environmental standpoint, the residence operates as a self-sufficient system. Radiant floor heating and cooling are powered by an aerothermal heat pump, supported by rooftop photovoltaic panels and solar collectors. This energy infrastructure not only sustains domestic demands for heating and hot water but also contributes surplus electricity back to the municipal grid.
