INITIAL STATE

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The existing building, in terms of its volume and overall structure, consists of what appears to be two sections of different widths, which were most likely built at different times: a main, rectangular section that is wider and deeper, which primarily contains the daytime living areas, two bathrooms, and two bedrooms; and a narrower section attached to the other at the front of the property. This latter section, likely built later, provides access to the house and adds two more bedrooms. Regarding the roofs, the building has a hip roof for the main section, constructed with ceramic Spanish tiles. The roof of the attached section has the same characteristics but is arranged symmetrically to the main section's roof, though it is lower in height.

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The entire house is on a single ground floor. The main entrance is on the Cervantes Street facade, leading to a hallway that structures the spaces or functional layout. Bedrooms and bathrooms are concentrated on both sides, and the hallway runs through the entire house to the opposite facade at the back of the property, where an open-plan living area is located. This living area is connected to the pool area.

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DETECTED HANDICAPS

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In its initial state, the house was disconnected from its outdoor spaces for several reasons:

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- Topography: The plot, while at the same level as the interior pavement at the front entrance, had a downward slope toward the back, with a drop of 87 cm. This meant that the daytime living areas were disconnected from the outdoor pool area, requiring a set of stairs that presented a significant architectural barrier.

 

- Facade Openings: The configuration of some of the existing facade openings also created a barrier between the interior and exterior. They were set up as windows rather than as French doors, and their dimensions were very limited. This made the house feel less fluid and permeable in its connection to the garden.

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- Disorganization of Outdoor Spaces: There was a lack of defined use for the various areas of the garden.

 

- Lack of Transitional Spaces: The house did not have porches or intermediate spaces to provide a sense of continuity between indoors and outdoors.

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Other issues detected in the house included a lack of maintenance on the facades and cornices, which showed signs of detachment, and badly maintained wiring on the facade, among other problems.

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INTERVENTION STRATEGY

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- Topographical Reconfiguration: Based on the detected handicaps, the first step was to create a new, more gradual topography to provide a much more fluid connection between indoors and outdoors. This transformation focused on the back of the property, where a level exit from the daytime living areas was planned, with a gradual slope down to the pool level. This progressive descent was achieved by creating a series of usable terraces interspersed with steps, which would also allow for easier access to the pool and circulation between spaces in general.

 

- Incusion of four new volumes: the second step was to add four new structures adapted to the new topography: three transitional spaces designed as metal pergolas with tension cables and ivy-type vegetation, and one auxiliary shed-like volume for storing gardening tools and housing the pool's equipment room.

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The three pergolas, combined with the modification of the facade openings they connect to, would allow for a strong connection between the interior and exterior. Ultimately, this would bring the house closer to the garden, resulting in a feeling of greater spaciousness and more efficient use of the different outdoor spaces.

The garden spaces linked to the three pergolas, each corresponding to a different area of the house, will almost automatically take on a use very similar to their indoor counterpart, becoming a true extension of it. However, this use can be easily changed as needed, providing a strong and interesting versatility.

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The pergolas also have an important bioclimatic function. They will support deciduous ivy that allows the sun to enter the house during the winter months while providing a significant amount of shade during the hot summer months.