Any intervention in a historic building, however small, is always subject to a balancing act between respecting the old and daring work with those new parts that should be added. The restoration of the Tower of Huércal-Overa is one example.

The structure is a watchtower that was part of a defensive belt of the border of the Kingdom of Granada ( 13rd Century), is located atop a hill overlooking a wide horizon, which only retained the core elements. The project was to create access to the tower and restore the original state of the same. To achieve this, the place has changed minimally, relying at all times in the topography. The car park has been conducted in an open space exists, the customer service office is a single volume: a box of rusted steel.

This contemporary material causes a categorical distinction between new and old (built with brick walls), especially in the cylindrical body surrounding the spiral staircase which recovers the original entrance of the tower via a walkway of steel and glass . The contrast is brutal and beautiful.

The architects Luis Castillo and Mercedes Miras (Castillo Miras Architects) designed this intervention. Read the rest of this entry »

They call it being a farm building rural appearance, because from the outside what you see is a simple nave gable, when in reality it is a modern detached house, accompanied by a larger structure for guests in a place with lake Vermont (USA).

A sequence of metal frames is the main structure of the house, are seen inland, the rest is wood, except for extreme walls have been built with thick stonewalls. Modern furniture, a few doors, large lamps on the kitchen island, an area of study in a side aisle … these are small details that give life to this temple from home in the countryside.

Is a project of Rick Joy Architects. Photos of Jean-Luc Laloux.

This amazing house is an amendment to an original held in the early ’80s, located on Lake Austin (Texas), which has been re-organize its dependencies redesigned interior with modern materials, and luxury.

The fundamental strategy of the project was to use reflective surfaces like glass and acrylic panels on the walls and doors, to pick up the subtle reflection of light and flowing water, a clear intention to reaffirm the relationship of housing to the lake. Therefore the presence of water is continued within the limits of construction, making the pool was invaded, a fact that highlights the eye.

The entire structure is metallic housing with fully glazed facade to the garden, showing all inside. All hinged doors are custom powder coated, steel frame and white acrylic panel.

The kitchen-dining area is simply spectacular: a huge space with furniture arranged creating different areas and located in the central part of the front garden. The center island kitchen has a piece in the middle of white acrylic and illuminated, like the front of the cooking area. It is without doubt the best atmosphere of the entire house. If you click on the picture you can see enlarged. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s hard to imagine a house that is shown outwardly pure enough volumes, can have within an organization of space with a geometry as complicated, especially a ladder so unique. It was built for a young couple with children, and is located on a hill overlooking the city of Kyoto (Japan).

The distribution was done in three plants, but with an empty space, that runs through, giving the case for example in the ground floor clearances ranging from 2.5 m to 7.5 meters. At this level are the kitchen, dining and lounge, the latter connected with the garden through a fully glazed facade, through a large sliding door. The opposite side (west) occupied by the garage, which has the width of the house.

On the first floor there is only a bedroom above the garage, with a terrace, but with a bathroom that serves the entire elongated housing, and has a bathtub at one end, receiving natural light from the empty space double-height living room. We have here a problem of privacy is not clear how the photos are done. Do not miss seeing the floor plan of this house, it is imperative to understand that from the first floor part two stairs both have curved track. Each of them into a bedroom, a guest on the west side and another that vents from the sides of the house (to the south and north), and has a living room overlooking the garden before, the wide facade of glass mentioned above.

The whole structure topped by a simple hip roof on a concrete slab that flies around the perimeter, which highlights the superb finish of concrete in almost all areas of the house. Outside coating also found burned cedar plank (finished with clear varnish) and a lattice of horizontal slats that hides the garage door. Read the rest of this entry »

The architectural firm of Joaquin Torres, presented a project for rehabilitation and restructuring of an industrial building in Madrid, to convert it into lofts, professional offices. It has a total area of 7.602m2, with a register within a rectangle of dimensions 20.50 m, 58.50 m, with a chamfer on the sloping terrain northeast northwest with pedestrian access from surrounding streets and for vehicles. This is an existing building with all water supply facilities, drainage, electricity, so the project can only modify the internal configuration of these networks.

At the request of property, redistribution takes place inside the premises that previously existed, while respecting the existing structure, and adapting the facade of the new interior configuration, but without losing the spirit of the original building. The program consists of two basements for parking, ground floor premises and intended for access to upper floors and garages, three floors of industrial buildings of business and under-cover with the same use. Floor on floors 1, 2 and 3 and 15 local on the top floor arrange sixteen localities.

The building is divided into 7 levels:

Basement-2, in which 29 parking spaces located between 12 and 22m2 in length, with an area of common ground where is located the staircase, lobby, facilities, circulation, a second hall and a pump unit, all in 400m2. Read the rest of this entry »