FRPO (rodriguez & oriol architects): MO house, madrid

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
image © miguel de guzmán (also main image)

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

vertical circulation in the midst of intricate horizontal paths
image © miguel de guzmán

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
image © miguel de guzmán

view of the construction site
image © miguel de guzmán

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