Casa en Santa Bárbara

Inspired in the roman courtyard between walls typology, while it embraces modern sub-urban norms like the Frontyard and the cantilever on second floors.

A large backyard, that preserves the ancient trees, is allowed by situating the house next to the street. Towards the backyard there is a wide cantilever on the second floor, and a glass façade on the first floor, creating a direct relation between the house and the nature of the backyard.

The front façade (that faces the street) protects the internal activities with a linear eaves (in concrete) and a linear pot-plant on the second floor. On the first floor a grille gives an increased sense of privacy.

The almost closed lateral facade, with a “textile curtain-like” zigzag formwork, creates a game of lights and shadows throughout the day.

The courtyard, geometric centre of the house, is built with metallic latticeworks that are inspired by the houses in the mozarabic architecture, in which there are glimpses of not only spaces but also people. In the exact centre of the courtyard a Magnolia tree is located, for the enjoyment of the surrounding spaces.

This courtyard that extrudes over the roof of the house also works as a lightning device, and as a thermo-siphon -passive heat exchange system- by sliding the glass doors (which are located enclosing the courtyard) thus allows ventilating the spaces in the house at will, and establishes a direct connection to the courtyard.