"Almendro" Housing Renovation | ARQUID Architecture

A renovated apartment that breathes literature, travel, history and serenity in ‘La Latina’ neighborhood of Madrid. Enjoyed by a father and his daughter, a small family that needed to build a home full of balanced and harmonious spaces to enjoy their love for books and travel. ARQUID architecture studio converted this historicist building, a legacy from the 19th century, into a refuge of dualities where history and contemporary style coexist. The main objective was to keep and highlight the historical and traditional heritage that characterizes the space, but adapting it to the new lifestyles and the frenetic change that the city is experiencing.

Restored furniture, natural materials and a minimalist style are the rehabilitation keys of this old house.

The building is characterized for being one of the architectural heritages of the city; built in 1888 under the parameters of historicist architecture, this is a place with own history, wooden structure and a protected façade that has maintained its original morphology. Behind its doors, it’s hidden a project who has prioritized the conservation of materials and the preservation of its identity through sustainable, conscious and economically responsible actions.

The design turns around the shared passion of the owners for books and travel, which is the main point on the design; creating a space that can transport them to other places through literature. Architecture is used as a way to build a parenthesis in the urban, where time takes another scale. In this sense, the heart of the house begins and ends in the central library, which not only works as a personal oasis, but also is used to organize the space and the different areas of the house.

The owner of the house, a lover of design and architecture, was present at each phase of the construction process together with the ARQUID team, who shared with him all the possible ideas to create a unique identity. The final objective was to get a reflection of himself in his house, feeling the project as his own and honoring his love for architecture and literature.

The owners' book collection was the starting point that brings emotion, life and flashes of color into a space sorrounded by a backdrop of white walls and pre-existing varnished smoked oak wood floors. The selection of furniture accompanies the minimalist aesthetics and the vibrant colors of the bookcase with soft and organic lines. 

From a spatial and conceptual point of view, the bookstore divides the night zone from the day zone. This main space seeks to accommodate all the common actions of coexistence, including reading, while connecting with two other central spaces: the study and the kitchen. Through a large wood and glass carpentry that opens onto the living room, a harmonious environment is projected that allows you to enjoy the different spaces in a unique and independent way.

The original structure is changed to become as flexible as possible and accommodate the new family and their needs. In this sense, a new distribution is proposed, totally different from the original one; a suite bathroom and an open and intelligently connected central area are added to allow the permeability of the space; acoustically insulated, while being clear and accessible to natural light.

Coexistence between the historical legacy and new lifestyles

The building stands on a wooden structure and preserves the heritage elements of its protected façade and interiors; such as the French windows, the vertical mouldings or the original wooden shutters. The interior and exterior rehabilitation of the house opted for the conservation of all these elements, pursuing a line of minimalist design that would enhance the importance of the existing heritage without renouncing the creation of a space adapted to the contemporaneity of those who were going to live on it.

ARQUID takes advantage of every existing detail to subtly unite it with the new current and modern design, such as the use of vertical mouldings to integrate a footlight design that allows indirect and dim lighting of the space. Or the restoration and reuse of the original shutters to alleviate the strong Madrid sunlight that illuminates the house. The carpentry is also replaced by a replica of the original, meticulously carved by expert craftsmen, to improve the energy efficiency of the house. All these components result in a personalized home, with a sustainable and intelligent strategy as the common thread.

The project is planned to enjoy the dichotomy between its own identity, and the area to which it belongs (REHABILITATION and enhancement of its façade) and the identity of its inhabitants (RENOVATION and adaptation to their way of life). The house works like the neighbourhood of La Latina, like Madrid itself, being a place and home for coexistence. The original structure is made more flexible to accommodate the new family and their needs, and this respect and shares the materiality, history and context of the building. Different ways of living that are shared; the frenzy of the day, the character of the metropolis and the tranquillity of the area at night, reminiscent of the old streets through the neighbourhood.

Credits

Location: Madrid
Surface: 180 m2
Architecture and Facilities Project: ARQUID architecture studio
Builder: Minher
Kitchen carpentry: Care Mobiliario
Carpentry windows: Cortizo
Lightning: Faro, Santa Cole
Tile and stones: Azulejos Peña
Photography: © Alberto Amores (www.amorespictures.com)