AUGUST | Nook Architects

On the southern slopes of Collserola we find a group of green structures, homes designed by architect Joan Bosch Agustí, construction of which was completed in 1978. The complex was conceived as a cooperative housing project, with a shared swimming pool, parking lot, entrances and exterior spaces. Each volume is composed of seven units, four intended for residential use and three as offices or studios. These are rational constructions, which exhibit several principles of modern architecture.

The home we remodelled is the result of joining together two such units and dividing the interior space into six half‐storey levels. It is a home with no corridors, in which the staircase serves as a landing, connecting the various spaces and uses. This concept of half levels also extends to the outside, with a succession of four tiered terraces that descend to the garden on the lower level.

The challenge of this project lied in streamlining the functionality of these spaces, assigning each a specific use and conforming them to the personality of the owners. And all without compromising the interconnectedness and flexibility of the spaces, or the essence of the original project, which prioritised the connection to the exterior, the views of the city of Barcelona and interior cross‐views.

The two top levels have the same function, each with a bedroom, a studio/work area and a bathroom; designed as micro‐units within the whole.
The middle levels accommodate everyday common areas, of which the lowermost levels serve as an extension, yet with a more recreational or festive purpose, and to provide a direct connection with the garden. The bottom level may also be transformed into a guest bedroom if needed.

The project emphasises the fixed furniture and fittings, multifunctional elements which serve to delimit the space and provide protection against falls, as well as desks, storage units, a dining area and even sofas. These elements also contain the interior plants, to which great importance has been attached in effort to ensure their presence throughout the home. This is possible thanks not only to the cross‐views, but also because of the unitary treatment each receives.

The custom‐designed furnishings make it possible to fully adapt the existing spaces, streamlining them and offsetting the restrictions caused by the changes in level.

Both the proposed materials and colour scheme are based on the original project, with the presence of ceramics in different formats, natural oak and rendering. The pre‐existing colours, the deep red of the exterior doors and windows, the green facings and terracotta elements, were extended to the new furniture and fittings, seamlessly integrating them into the new proposal.

The refurbishment has resulted in neutral, light and timeless interior spaces, which blend with the outside, the natural lighting, the plants and the cross‐views, streamlining the home’s use thanks to the elements designed to organise and unify uses, freeing up the rest of the space.

Photography: Oriol Gómez - www.ogomez.cat