Discreet contemporaneity and spatial luxury. The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos
26/02/2023.
[Valencia] Spain
metalocus, ANDRÉS BLANCO
metalocus, ANDRÉS BLANCO
Architecture studio Fran Silvestre Arquitectos was commissioned to design a house, that needed to dialogue between its past, the façade protected by urban regulations, and the program and the needs of a contemporary home, located on the main street of a town near Valencia, a house which is part of a fragment of 20th-century history.
Taking the existing façade and the footprint of the old building as an argument, it was proposed to empty the interior space in ruins and recover it in an innovative way.
From the outside, the façade maintains its image (unifying the whole with an antelope grey treatment that integrates and unifies it) without altering the morphology and scale of the street, maintaining the scenery of the urban memory of the municipality.
Taking the existing façade and the footprint of the old building as an argument, it was proposed to empty the interior space in ruins and recover it in an innovative way.
From the outside, the façade maintains its image (unifying the whole with an antelope grey treatment that integrates and unifies it) without altering the morphology and scale of the street, maintaining the scenery of the urban memory of the municipality.
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra
Site plan. The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos.
Ground floor plan. The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos.
First floor plan. The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos.
Second floor plan. The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos.
Section. The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos.
Elevation. The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos.
Model. The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos.
Model. The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos.
Sketch. The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos.
The design proposed by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos raises a radical dialogue between the past and the contemporary. After crossing the access threshold, the emptying becomes an exuberant game of spatiality, where the interior volume and its voids flow at a triple height like a magical reception stage, which connects directly with the exterior and where the closures are controlled to take advantage of the mild Mediterranean climate all year round.
The program is organized by placing the day area next to the dividing wall, in continuity with a long swimming pool, which seems to get lost in the landscape. On the opposite side is the guest room and between them a multipurpose room with a structural nod that separates them a few millimetres, creating a setting to enjoy the impressive landscape.
On the first floor, like a bridge, separated from the façade by the great void, are the bedrooms.
The wood from the old beams in the house was reused to build the furniture in the house.
The program is organized by placing the day area next to the dividing wall, in continuity with a long swimming pool, which seems to get lost in the landscape. On the opposite side is the guest room and between them a multipurpose room with a structural nod that separates them a few millimetres, creating a setting to enjoy the impressive landscape.
On the first floor, like a bridge, separated from the façade by the great void, are the bedrooms.
The wood from the old beams in the house was reused to build the furniture in the house.
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra.
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra.
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Fernando Guerra.
Project description by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos
Located on the main street of a town near Valencia, the house is part of a fragment of 20th-century history.
The existing façade and building footprint are protected, but the volume exceeds the needs of the new project. Faced with this situation, it is proposed to empty the interior space in ruins and show it in an innovative way. From the outside, the façade maintains its character, without modifying the street, which becomes a kind of scenery from another era. The tone of this old façade is unified with an antelope grey treatment that goes completely unnoticed.
Crossing the threshold we find ourselves in another time. Only what is necessary is closed and air-conditioned and a triple-height volume is generated that in a climate like the Mediterranean, we can use throughout the year. The day area is located close to the dividing wall, in continuity with a pool large enough to swim, which seems to get lost in the Valencian fields. The guest room and the multipurpose room resolve the change of direction that the site offers, a twist between two pieces separated by just a few millimetres.
The Empty House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Photograph by Jesús Orrico.
The rest of the space on this floor is empty, which will make us wonder about the size of a room whose depth of landscape seems to have no limits.
The night area is arranged transversally as a bridge framing the views. The master bedroom is located above the living room with the same orientation. The section gives us a floor plan with sloping roofs with an entrance of light from above, a space that time will put to use.
The wood from the old beams of the house in ruins is reused to build the furniture of the house, and just as it has been sought with the space of the house, it becomes a material that acquires a new life.
More information
Architects
Fran Silvestre Arquitectos. Lead architect.- Fran Silvestre, María Masià, Sevak Asatrián, Paco Chinesta.
Project team
María Masià, Sevak Asatrián, Paco Chinesta, Pablo Camarasa, Ricardo Candela , Estefanía Soriano, Carlos Lucas, Andrea Baldo, Miguel Massa, Paloma Feng, Javi Herrero, Gino Brollo, Angelo Brollo, Anna Alfanjarín, Laura Bueno, Toni Cremades, David Cirocchi, Gabriela Schinzel, Lucas Manuel , Nuria Doménech. Andrea Raga, Olga Martín, Víctor González, Pepe Llop, Anahí Aguilera, Awab Bek, Monike Teodoro, Gemma Aparicio, Fran Ayala, Rosa Juanes.
Collaborators
Interior design.- Alfaro Hofmann.
Structural engineering.- DOF Ingenieros.
Quantity surveyor.- Silverio Soriano | Arquitecto técnico de proyecto, Enrique Alario | Collaborator.
Business Development and Management.- Judith López.
Business developer CCG and Mexico.- José María Ibañez.
Financial advisor.- Ana de Pablo.
Head of Marketing and Communication.- Sara Atienza.
Financial Dept.- Valeria Fernandini.
Administration Department.- Sandra Mazcuñán
Marketing Technician.- Andrés Martínez.
Marketing Technician.- Kateryna Spuziak.
Structural engineering.- DOF Ingenieros.
Quantity surveyor.- Silverio Soriano | Arquitecto técnico de proyecto, Enrique Alario | Collaborator.
Business Development and Management.- Judith López.
Business developer CCG and Mexico.- José María Ibañez.
Financial advisor.- Ana de Pablo.
Head of Marketing and Communication.- Sara Atienza.
Financial Dept.- Valeria Fernandini.
Administration Department.- Sandra Mazcuñán
Marketing Technician.- Andrés Martínez.
Marketing Technician.- Kateryna Spuziak.
Builder
Construcciones Ribera.
Area
814 m².
Dates
2022.
Location
Valencia, Comunidad Valenciana. Spain.
Manufacturers
Air conditioning.- Mitsubishi air conditioning.
Mechanisms.- Jung 990 series mechanisms
Lighting.- Coves in false ceiling. LED linear luminaire. GLINT MG lighting system.
Pavements.- Capri limestone natural stone.
Pool.- Large-format ceramic TAU Cerámica.
Gardening.- Dalmau.
Paintings.- Jesús Hurtado
Coatings.- Solid Surface Krion.
Mechanisms.- Jung 990 series mechanisms
Lighting.- Coves in false ceiling. LED linear luminaire. GLINT MG lighting system.
Pavements.- Capri limestone natural stone.
Pool.- Large-format ceramic TAU Cerámica.
Gardening.- Dalmau.
Paintings.- Jesús Hurtado
Coatings.- Solid Surface Krion.
Video
Jesús Orrico.
Photography
Fernando Guerra.
Jesús Orrico | Fran Silvestre Arquitectos.
Jesús Orrico | Fran Silvestre Arquitectos.
FRAN SILVESTRE ARQUITECTOS
Fran Silvestre Arquitectos is a studio based in Valencia made up a multidisciplinary group of architects founded in 2005 by architect Fran Silvestre. Fran Silvestre (born 5 July 1976) is a Spanish architect. After having graduated in Architecture at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Valencia in 2001, he specialized in urban planning at the Technische Universiteit Eindhoven a year later. Then, he won a scholarship to work at the studio of the Pritzker Prize architect from Portugal, Alvaro Siza, which is located in Oporto, and have ever since undertaken projects in cooperation with him. He is also dedicated to teach as professor at the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia since 2006, and the Universidad Europea since 2009.
Influenced by the above mentioned architect, Alvaro Siza, or the sculptor Andreu Alfaro, among others, the studio realizes series of projects that take into account factors such as, modulation, serialization or light. Thus, giving rise to buildings of high purity, using constant innovative materials and technologies. Since its foundation, it has focused on the developement and implementation of small-scale projects, for instance, The Atrium House (2009) or the House at the mountainside of a Castle (2010). It also carries out multidisciplinary work while designing objects like the Alis chair, collaborating with other studios such as Alfaro Hofmann, which is dedicated to interior design.
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