refurbishment

This project involves the revitalization of a small abandoned part of the old town. It’s the rehabilitation of a building located in the neighborhood of the Ollerías Altas y Bajas, an urban area where most of the pottery industry of the city along the Modern Age was. It was renovated by architect Fernando Salvador Carreras in 1928.

At the end of a long driveway, nestled amongst the neighbouring houses and established Pohutukawa trees, an existing 1960’s brick and tile home sat stubbornly in the middle of the site. While functional, the existing dwelling provided a confronting car-centric entry and failed to engage with the landscape or the spectacular views over Cox’s Bay in Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour.

The Mission.

The smallest unit constituting society
This is a renovation project of the office presided over by the two co-owners. This space where two people share their time can be said to be the smallest spatial unit in society. Where it required two personalities and desires in one space, we created a unit space filled with many options. The office is a small space of 28 square meters, but it is finely segmented, creating a number of places. If that is the case, while having a personality where there is a place, we aim at the state related to separation. We expanded the small place and the whole, and also made the appropriate balance.

Undressing what exists and transforming what is necessary to create a sequence of interrelated spaces has been the greatest objective of this rehabilitation. To give value to certain pre-existing elements of the house and the environment by eliminating unnecessary elements is the starting point of the project of this detached house located a few meters away from the epicenter of the Horta district in Barcelona.