Located within a recognised residential building in Chapinero Alto, Bogotá, Vinotinto Apartment approaches renovation as an exercise in continuity rather than transformation. The existing building carries its own architectural legacy, while the apartment contains another layer of history through the resident's furniture, objects and long-standing relationship with the neighbourhood. The intervention brings these histories together, using selective architectural changes to adapt the home to contemporary life without erasing what was already present.
Retaining rather than replacing
The project's principal sustainability value lies in its approach to the existing interior. Rather than treating renovation as an opportunity to create an entirely new environment, the design begins by identifying elements that can remain meaningful within the reconfigured apartment.
Existing architecture, accumulated objects and furniture are incorporated into the new composition. This strategy reduces the emphasis on replacement and allows the embodied resources already invested in the apartment and its contents to remain in use. New interventions are introduced selectively, responding to the proportions, materials and character of the original building rather than competing with them.
Material continuity
Material decisions reinforce the relationship between old and new. Instead of establishing a uniform contemporary palette, the apartment brings together materials and objects from different periods. Their differences remain visible, allowing the interior to communicate how the home has evolved over time. This approach can also support longer material lifespans. Furniture and domestic objects are valued for their continued usefulness and personal significance rather than replaced simply to achieve visual consistency. New elements become another layer within the apartment rather than rendering previous ones obsolete.
Adaptation as a long-term strategy
The project treats the domestic interior as something capable of accommodating change. Its architectural language is based on montage: existing and new elements coexist while retaining their individual identities. This produces a home that does not depend on a single moment or design trend for its relevance. Such an approach offers a useful model for the renovation of architecturally significant housing. Preserving buildings does not necessarily require freezing them in their original condition; continued occupation depends on their ability to accommodate changing users and ways of living.
