To this atrium is added a cloister superimposed on the second floor, which surrounds the patio below. “He gives the prominence to light and ventilation, and is placed in the perimeter expanding the circulation spaces and sharing with the surrounding rooms. It is an extension of the rooms, the collective space, ”they explain from the study. Both receive light from above, because the roof opens to the sky thanks to a glass cover.
This combination of atrium and cloister is the union of «two archetypes with a very forceful geometry and dimensions, which fit each other and from where the distributions are organized,» as detailed from the Catalan study. From it, the rest of the spaces are distributed, since each plant has a main and tall main area, with wooden roofs, which is complemented with other smaller and smaller secondary areas, ”fully mineral spaces excavated within the walls.»
This minerality is achieved thanks to a particular use of what from H Architects call as «poor concrete», done on site. It is a mixture with very little cement and a selection of sands and gravels that, applied with a compaction technique similar to that of the wall, forms a very robust monolithic solution and with a lot of thermal inertia but, at the same time, sufficiently porous enough to help regulate and stabilize the temperature, humidity and acoustic of the spaces. This, together with the central height of the house, which stimulates the speed of ventilation and hot air outlet, constitute the basis of the energy efficiency of the construction.
All this led to the study to win the FAD 2024 Architecture Award in the category of «Opinion.» The jury highlighted the ability to challenge the conventions of the traditional single -family domestic architecture to find a unique relationship with light and air, despite the urban constriction in which housing is found.