ágora arquitectura stacks cross laminated timber house atop old brick base in spain

‘house on a brick base’ by ágora arquitectura 

Located about 20 km from Barcelona, in a residential neighborhood of St. Vicenç dels Horts, ‘House on a brick base’ is a delightfully peculiar residence completed by Ágora Arquitectura. Spread over two levels, the structure exemplifies ways of building quite literally on top of ruins — this time, made of vividly red bricks.

The first level is an existing brick base, once in a derelict state and now revamped through new visual extensions that expand the architecture towards the plot borders. The upper floor, meanwhile, takes shape as a prefabricated Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) volume coated in whitewashed cork plates. Thanks to a gap on the lower floor, the architects managed to support the CLT box by adding a new T-shaped brick wall acting as a sort of prop. Moreover, the interiors are left exposed and visible, except for two spaces: the technical floor and several bleached plywood volumes, which slide alternately inside and out, organizing the daily spatial program. 

all images © Jose Hevia

a two-level home with open interiors 

The top floor of ‘House on a brick base’ holds two bedrooms connected via a partition-steger, a bathroom open only to views of a generous overhead blue light, and a living room-kitchen extending to the dining space. The lower floor, centered around the T-shaped brick wall, hosts a third room, a second living room, a small bathroom, and an extensive service and facilities area.

‘Outside the limits of the plot, inner life is shown with a certain degree of air tightness. Only a deep-opened brick wall, and a door for vehicles and people, with a double opening, give a glimpse of what happens inside. After the vertical plane, a horizontal plane announces two possibilities: link with a ramp, which allows access to the lower level of the land, or connect with stairs hidden behind the openwork wall, which announces the possibility of a ceremonious ascent to the built interior,’ comments the studio. 

‘House on a brick base’ sits 20 km from Barcelona

‘Following the stairs allows you to discover an old well preserved for irrigation and a century-old olive grove. Both elements place the visitor in front of the front door. Crossing this, a large skylight warns us of the strong external presence which actually exists inside the project, even in the most intimate places. The light serves as a guide to large balconies. Opening them, a French balcony turns the house into a porch. With the views in front of the landscape, roller blinds are offered as a passive climate protection system. The light also reaches the most clayey part of the house,’ continues Ágora Arquitectura. 

a CLT volume stacked atop the existing brick base

leaving the interiors ‘exposed’

bleachd plywood partitions

the lower floor hosts additional rooms, suitable for summer time and hot periods

a spiral staircase leading to the top floor

kitchen area flooded with daylight

bathroom area

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project info:

name: VS27 | House on a brick base 

location: St. Vicenç dels Horts, Barcelona, Spain

architecture: Ágora Arquitectura

lead architects: Joan Casals Pañella, Jose Luis Cisneros Bardolet 

team: Belén Ramos, Niccoló Santana, Ane Rodriguez, Sofia Lobianco 

photography: Jose Hevia 

wooden structure: Egoin SA

interior carpentry: Wood&Bois SL
metalwork: Metal·listeria Miquel SL 
masonry: Juan Carlos Merelo
floors: Pavindus S.A 
installations: Vicente Castaño
brick plinths: Cerámicas Valera SA 
insulating façade: Barnacork SL 
exterior cladding: Comcal Natural SL
bathroom interior cladding: Equipe Cerámicas
waterproofing: Firestone 
solar protection: Persiana Barcelona SCP 

furniture: Minim, Knoll, Butterfly, Kff, Cassina