Alventosa Morell Arquitectos bring light and cosiness to Barcelona

Alventosa Morell Arquitectos found themselves facing a particularly difficult challenge: building a private home between two apartment blocks. No problem, so far; but in a big city like Barcelona, it could be difficult to create a quiet, cosy space lit up with natural light, which is what the client wanted.

The two apartment buildings on either side of the home block out the sunlight, and the neighbourhood is the noisiest in the city, at least according to the urban development scheme.

The starting point for the project was the need to minimise the two negative effects of the home’s location: darkness and noise. Influenced by this idea, architects Alventosa and Morell created two separate areas: a bedroom area adjacent to the street and an inward-facing living area. Next they had to soundproof the side facing the street and bring as much light as possible into the side containing the living area.
The bedroom area therefore appears compact and closed-in as seen from the street, while on the opposite side there is a patio and a clear roof to let in air and light.
The building’s dominant feature as seen from the outside is definitely the method used to let in natural light: strips of wood which can be closed when necessary, like shutters.

The interior establishes continuity with the exterior thanks to the use of wood, contrasting with white walls and steel components such as the staircase or the kitchen.

Francesco Cibati

Location: Barcelona, Catalonia
Year: 2014
Area: 477 sqm
Architects: Josep Ma. Alventosa, Marc Alventosa, Xavier Morell
Photos: Adrià Goula

http://www.alventosamorell.com/

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