Lechosa House | Héctor Navarro

Lechosa House is the result of a private commission that has been developed in parallel to a research project focused on the study of the traditional dwellings of Cabuerniga Valley, Cantabria (Spain). The purpose of this research was to respond to the current demand for housing in these contexts of great heritage value with a contemporary language born of knowledge and the study of vernacular architecture.

The property had acquired an old stable. The first project decision is based on removing the roof in poor condition, retaining the stone wall to subsequently rehabilitate it and proceed to the construction of a house with three floors. On the east façade, the "solana" gave answer to all the needs of the activity that took place there, and from there livestock access was organized, products that required it were dried, etc ... This space, typical of the architecture of the place, it continues to have a free height of two floors. It works as access to the house and porch area. A transitional space that modeles exposure to the urban environment.

At the volumetric level, two entities are defined; a main volume under the roof of ceramic tiles, and a smaller one, covered with zinc, which shapes the relationship with the adjacent construction. On the ground floor, around a central nucleus, a living room, a kitchen, and a double-height dining room lit from the top are organized. The first floor includes a bathroom and two bedrooms, whose interior boundaries include glass solutions that allow manipulating the spatial perception of these small spaces. In the third floor under the roof, there is a bedroom with a clear longitudinal development whose lighting comes from the facade and a corner patio.

At the construction level, the structure is resolved with a façade of wooden slats on the perimeter and a central core containing the chimney giving support to the new roof structure of wood and ceramic tile. From a detailed study of the construction systems of the area, it is detected that the facades are built with a wooden framework of vertical pieces, among which appear bricks, stone and plaster that will complete the construction of the same. From this reference it is proposed to recover this constructive system partially. A wooden framework is projected, whose section is manipulated to serve as slats, responding to the needs in terms of privacy. This solution offers a continuous illumination of the interior, and at the same time guarantees privacy, a subject to solve given its location in a consolidated urban context.

The carpenters of the area are in charge of erecting the building and also producing the windows designed for the project. As for the new structure, given the limitations of the regulations and the needs of the property, it is decided to design a minimum floor slab. To do this, a solution that can be found in various buildings in the area is recovered; forged with horizontal jointed joists. To this end, a metallic load-bearing structure is included, which meets the needs raised and represents a better use of economic resources.

Finally, other typical elements of the area are included in a contemporary language that aim to value its usefulness in a new context, where forms of use and ways of life present new demands. With all this, the project seeks to adapt the vernacular references to a contemporary language, putting in value the typical solutions of the area and involving the trades of the place, perfect connoisseurs of woodwork.