
first image
'MO house' by FRPO (rodríguez & oriol architecture)
images © miguel de guzmán
all images courtesy of FRPO (rodríguez & oriol architecture)
continuing a method of working that began in 2005, madrid–based architects fernando rodríguez and pablo oriol have once again found
conceptual success in combining complex geometry and simple forms. 'MO house,' a single family home in the forested outskirts of madrid,
is the latest project in a series of ‘systematized designs’ in which the architects set up basic rules and proportions, then arrange the
resulting forms to create rich spatial experiences. the design process is one of elegant reduction wherein a specific program brief is simplified
and then choreographed to fit poetic demands.
in MO house, spaces are arranged by the logic of domestic movement, with certain shared pods acting as a connective tissue to other groups of program.
this rationalism, while diagrammatic, is made complex by the building’s relationship to the forested site. the rooms weave through the trees, giving the impression
that the simple forms have long been a part of the woods.

rooms are separate entities arranged in relation to one another and joined with outdoor or circulation space.
images © miguel de guzmán

working with cross-laminated wood allowed for the building to be CNC milled so it's complex angles could be fabricated with extreme accuracy
images © miguel de guzmán

vertical circulation in the midst of intricate horizontal paths
images © miguel de guzmán
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the structure is also a technical feat. the density of the trees required a new approach to the foundation and fabrication of the building. insulation
and environmental performance was also a concern given the amount of apertures in the building. additionally, the arrangement of the
program components of the house made for a series of unusual connective angles. the resulting solution was a lightweight system made entirely of
cross-laminated wood that could be precisely manufactured on a CNC (computer numerical control) mill. the milled components would also
be one-third lighter than traditional slab-on-grade with a steel skeleton. the fabrication process and material ensured extreme accuracy
while maintaining the central philosophy of the design process.

precise angles were cnc milled
images © miguel de guzmán

view of the construction site
images © miguel de guzmán
more images forthcoming, spring 2013.
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axonometric

floor plan/ level 0

floor plan/ site diagram

program diagram
project info:
country +start/end date: madrid, spain, 2010 -2012
client: private
destination of use: residential
area: 295 m2
architect: FRPO (rodríguez & oriol architecture)
contractor: alter materia, grupo singular
consultants: KLH, alter materia, miguel nevado
collaborators: pastora cotero, inés olavarrieta, cornelius schmitz, cristina escuder
Does the house come with signs?
I feel like I would get lost in my own house if I lived there.
I like the contrast between the randomness of configuration with the adherence to a strongy vocabulary otherwise
Any ideas what flooring has been used? Marmoleum?