ágora arquitectura stacks cross laminated timber house atop old brick base in spain
the brick base has been revamped with new visual extensions, expanding the architecture towards the plot borders.
‘house on a brick base’ by ágora arquitectura
Located about 20 km from Barcelona, in a residential neighborhood of St. Vicenç dels Horts, ‘House on a brick base’ is a delightfully peculiar residence completed by Ágora Arquitectura. Spread over two levels, the structure exemplifies ways of building quite literally on top of ruins — this time, made of vividly red bricks.
The first level is an existing brick base, once in a derelict state and now revamped through new visual extensions that expand the architecture towards the plot borders. The upper floor, meanwhile, takes shape as a prefabricated Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) volume coated in whitewashed cork plates. Thanks to a gap on the lower floor, the architects managed to support the CLT box by adding a new T-shaped brick wall acting as a sort of prop. Moreover, the interiors are left exposed and visible, except for two spaces: the technical floor and several bleached plywood volumes, which slide alternately inside and out, organizing the daily spatial program.
a two-level home with open interiors
The top floor of ‘House on a brick base’ holds two bedrooms connected via a partition-steger, a bathroom open only to views of a generous overhead blue light, and a living room-kitchen extending to the dining space. The lower floor, centered around the T-shaped brick wall, hosts a third room, a second living room, a small bathroom, and an extensive service and facilities area.
‘Outside the limits of the plot, inner life is shown with a certain degree of air tightness. Only a deep-opened brick wall, and a door for vehicles and people, with a double opening, give a glimpse of what happens inside. After the vertical plane, a horizontal plane announces two possibilities: link with a ramp, which allows access to the lower level of the land, or connect with stairs hidden behind the openwork wall, which announces the possibility of a ceremonious ascent to the built interior,’ comments the studio.
‘Following the stairs allows you to discover an old well preserved for irrigation and a century-old olive grove. Both elements place the visitor in front of the front door. Crossing this, a large skylight warns us of the strong external presence which actually exists inside the project, even in the most intimate places. The light serves as a guide to large balconies. Opening them, a French balcony turns the house into a porch. With the views in front of the landscape, roller blinds are offered as a passive climate protection system. The light also reaches the most clayey part of the house,’ continues Ágora Arquitectura.
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project info:
name: VS27 | House on a brick base
location: St. Vicenç dels Horts, Barcelona, Spain
architecture: Ágora Arquitectura
lead architects: Joan Casals Pañella, Jose Luis Cisneros Bardolet
team: Belén Ramos, Niccoló Santana, Ane Rodriguez, Sofia Lobianco
photography: Jose Hevia
wooden structure: Egoin SA
interior carpentry: Wood&Bois SL
metalwork: Metal·listeria Miquel SL
masonry: Juan Carlos Merelo
floors: Pavindus S.A
installations: Vicente Castaño
brick plinths: Cerámicas Valera SA
insulating façade: Barnacork SL
exterior cladding: Comcal Natural SL
bathroom interior cladding: Equipe Cerámicas
waterproofing: Firestone
solar protection: Persiana Barcelona SCP
