fresnada y zamora: house for maria angeles and jose

‘house for maria angeles and jose’ by fresnada y zamora arquitectos, granada, spain all images courtesy of fresnada y zamora arquitectos

in the small agricultural town of illora, positioned amongst a chaotic mix of urban typologies, spanish firm fresnada y zamora arquitectos have added the ‘house for maria angeles and jose’ to the fray, representing the token contemporary house. the ‘L’ shaped plan opens to the south oriented backyard patio to which all rooms are visually connected. in section, the form contains many bends and half-levels that differentiate programmatical elements within the residence as well as sliding translucent panes that create a dynamic facade. the angle in the elevation also helps to create a seamless roof line throughout the street.

visitors are received at ground level by the entry, carport and guest quarters. one half floor above contains the kitchen, living area and dining room which share a space with the primary staircase and main circulation. the childrens’ bedrooms, bathroom and study occupy the first storey, with the parents keeping a watchful eye on the activity below from their rooftop layer. the basement is allocated to work studios and entertainment areas, with a window directly into the swimming pool.

site context

the construction maintains local vernacular despite its modern skin. a concrete frame system connected with floor slabs support the bulk of the loads, infilled with traditional double-layer cavity walls. the exterior is clad with corrugated anodized aluminum panels, some of which have been micro-perforated to create opacity as sliding window shades. they also reappear in the interior as the ceiling finish for the first storey, which is wrapped by an exposed wide flange beam that wraps around the enclosure and supports a stairway of cantilevering steel plates. hardwood floors delineate the private functions while large ceramic tiles mark the day-use spaces.

street view