Brick patio forms centre of renovated house in Spain

Behind the facade of a historic building in Vila-real, Spain, hides the recent intervention of Horma, which has reinterpreted the typical spatiality of the patio house to follow the needs of a contemporary family. The previous dwelling was made up of two separate blocks arranged longitudinally in a 22m long and 5m wide lot. Over time, however, numerous additions and stratifications had ended up making the spaces congested, dark and difficult to live in.

The intervention by the Spanish architects has eliminated all the excess signs accumulating over time, made the original layout clear and legible, and joined the two distinct parts with a passing kitchen, which is directly connected to the patio. Covered entirely in brick, the central open space becomes the main fulcrum of the house, which visually articulates and connects the various spaces of the living 

The longitudinal section is the drawing in which you can better read the layout of the rooms on the ground floor and the other two minor voids designed by the architects: a small loggia that acts as a filter between the bedroom and the street, and a skylight that brings indirect light and diffused towards the living room at the end of the lot. Wood and white plaster are the main materials used for the interiors to enhance the rhythm of the vaulted ceilings, mark the entrance of light and highlight the materiality of the central open space.