Ninette House by Arenas Basabe Palacios arquitectos
31/01/2018.
[MAD] Spain
metalocus, PABLO SEBASTIÁN
metalocus, PABLO SEBASTIÁN
Description of project by Arenas Basabe Palacios architects
A project which entails a dramatic change in the lifestyle of the owners: moving from an apartment block to a private house with a garden. The project aims to maximise the feeling of living close to the ground and foster a closer connection with exterior spaces, allowing what had previously not been possible: having breakfast outdoors, reading in a hammock among the trees, sleeping under the stars, growing their own garden.
To this end the boundaries of the house extend to those of the plot. Large glazed panels allow the interior spaces to visually flow onto the garden. The tiled floor extends beyond the glazing with a subtle colour gradient, reinforcing the idea of a seamless connection with the outdoors and effectively doubling the surface of the living room, kitchen, library and master bedroom.
In direct relation to these uses the courtyard is loosely divided in a series of areas of diverse character: a flower bed that gives access to the house, a reading corner that acts as a natural extension of the library, a productive garden, a seating area adjacent to the master bedroom, an outdoor dining area for the kitchen and a laundry area alongside the road access.
On the ground floor the rooms follow a centrifugal pattern that seeks to capture the exterior landscape, whereas on the first floor the rooms are arranged centripetally around a shared space, which acts as an elevated court. This room has been designed to enable different uses in accordance with the owners’ varying needs: dance room, playroom, home cinema, etc.
arenas basabe palacios arquitectos was founded in 2006. Since then they have won several architecture and urban prizes. They frequently give lectures and teach at different universities and institutions. They have presented their work and research in many exhibitions around Europe. Their projects have been published in many countries including Germany, Austria, the UK, France, Korea, India and Spain.
Enrique Arenas Laorga (1974), architect graduated from ETSAM (Madrid). He has developed projects in very different areas: rehabilitation, housing, institutional and events. He has held lectures at several academic institutions and is now a researcher at ETSAM. He teaches at IED Madrid.
Luis Basabe Montalvo (1975), architect graduated from TU Graz. Since 2003 he teaches design studio at ETSAM, where he is also working on his PhD. He was a guest researcher and faculty at various Universities: RWTH Aachen (Germany), Cambridge (UK) and CEPT Ahmedabad (India).
Luis Palacios Labrador (1983), architect graduated from ETSAM (Madrid, 2009) with and Master's in Advanced Innovation and Technology (ETSAM, 2011). Since 2010 he teaches design studio at ETSAM, where he is also developing his PhD. He worked in the Netherlands and, as a teacher, he has held lectures and workshops in India and UK.