Apple House | ApuntoArquitectura

At all times, it has been tried to respect the form and the construction tradition of the place, pretending that the image was, as far as possible, integrated into the landscape of the environment where it is located, benefiting from the good things of traditional architecture. Without renouncing a current image and current construction techniques.

Therefore, the shape obtained is the result of applying to a “traditional” house with a rectangular floor plan and a symmetrical gable roof an operation to subtract three “pieces” from its volume. The result of this operation generates a volume with three patios or terraces that help to organize and compose the plant so that it works perfectly, benefiting from these “open-air” rooms.

Thus:

- A façade is given to the street, adjusting to its alignment without giving up the privacy of the rooms that open to the north through these patios.

- These patios on the façade have different characters, one associated with the public part, access and kitchen, it is proposed as an extension of it, a very pleasant place to eat in the shade in summer. The other with a more intimate character, smaller in size, to which two of the bedrooms open.

- On the south side the third of the patios opens, which is established as an extension of the living room towards the outside, open to the southern sun and protected by the other three sides from the wind, to be able to enjoy also, even on sunny days of winter.

The entire program is resolved on the ground floor, where the living room, kitchen, entrance, garage, utility room, toilet and four bedrooms with two bathrooms are located.

At a construction level, bearing a conventional structure  load-wall and  joist and vault slabs are proposed.

The walls that are in contact with the exterior of the initial volume before the subtraction operation are built with exposed brick, reinforcing that very Castilian image of brick seen on facades, while the walls of the patios are made of rough brick plastered with a single-layer mortar with a solid color that will give it a more modern image.

Despite the tight budget for its execution, an attempt is made to project a sustainable home:

- Walls are built with good insulation and a lot of thermal inertia outside and little inside.

- The most used rooms are oriented to the South and open their holes only in these South facades and when they have to be opened in another orientation they are done by placing “Patios-terraces” that act as thermal regulators.

- Sheltered distribution of the rooms; the most used rooms are protected from the cold surrounded by the rest of the rooms.

- All facilities are designed to consume as little as possible.

- Cross ventilation orienting opposing gaps in north-south facades, which generate currents throughout the house.

TEAM

ApuntoArquitectura

Jorge Serrano de La Torre, Celia Zorzo Vicente-Arche