“Being creative is not so much the desire to do something as the listening to that which wants to be done: the dictation of the materials.”   Anni Albers
This work is the materialisation of an ethical stance, ‘less is better’, which seeks to reduce the ecological footprint in a reasonable way. Environmental awareness calls for a new culture of living, and the urgently needed change is not a task for just a few. Building a better world is the responsibility of all of us who inhabit this small planet.
Strong economic constraints have led to unconventional solutions and the introduction of new materials. The textiles designed by Rocío Sancho use the plastic power of colour and the play of light to construct partitions, lighting fixtures, dividers and stairway safety devices.

These elements combine natural materials, such as dyed linen, with recycled plastics to introduce new experiences into the space. The vernacular becomes contemporary. The accidental becomes the essence. The line becomes a thread and this time architecture is woven, art and craft intertwine. Silence and light can be modulated, the sensuality of the fabric builds and qualifies the space in dialogue with concrete or thermoclay.

This project connects with past experiences of modern architecture seeking to exploit the potential of material softness in organizing space, as in the work of Anni Albers or Jorn Utzon, with their rich and delicate qualities. Through these paths, the fabric is constituted as a worthy architectural material and the space is humanised by the firm stroke of a soft line.

Team:

Architects: Elisa Valero Ramos

Collaborating architect: Leonardo Tapiz Buzarra
Building surveyor: José Juan Sopena Vara

Photographer: Fernando Alda and Rocío Sancho Lamana