Casa Isabel la Católica, designed by Agustín Gor (GRX Arquitectos) architecture studio, is a work of architectural reform in which, with the will to think of the Master, his approach is followed, and several vertical planes are arranged conceived from a Cartesian grid, with the ability to alter its dimensions according to different needs.
The original house is divided into two, forming two new homes, one facing south, brighter and warmer, where a single curve is capable of catalyzing all the uses and actions of the house. On the opposite side, North, the second home is configured through a main distributor that adopts the necessary plasticity to absorb irregularities in the floor plan.
"Isabel la Catolica" House by Agustín Gor (GRX arquitectos). Photograph by ImagenSubliminal.
The original house is divided into two, forming two new homes, one facing south, brighter and warmer, where a single curve is capable of catalyzing all the uses and actions of the house. On the opposite side, North, the second home is configured through a main distributor that adopts the necessary plasticity to absorb irregularities in the floor plan.
"Isabel la Catolica" House by Agustín Gor (GRX arquitectos). Photograph by ImagenSubliminal.
Description of project by Agustín Gor (GRX Arquitectos)
The Isabel la Católica nº2 building corresponds to a little-known collective housing project in Granada by José Mª García de Paredes (1924-1990), but it also maintains the features that characterize the work of this architect. Respect for the work of García de Paredes makes us pay attention to his thoughts and drawings when trying to solve the initial premise of the work: to convert a 240 m² noble house from the mid-20th century into two independent homes with domestic patterns of contemporary families.
According to Ángela García de Paredes, his father was determined to create a modular and homogeneous system that would solve complex needs in different places. In this context, it is possible to understand that when García de Paredes built the Almendrales church (1961-1964), he was not betraying the principles of modern language, but rather demonstrating a criticism of the limits of this current, demanding greater freedom. Following this approach, we have several vertical planes conceived from a 10 × 10 cm Cartesian Grid capable of expanding and contracting according to domestic needs. It is a homogeneous mesh that adapts, like a living organism, to give shape to elements of the house, such as a hatch, a fireplace, a cupboard, a mirror, or a bench, while establishing a filter between the different rooms. All the materials used trace the movement that corresponds to them, whether ceramic or stone, glass or metal. They are two houses that want to redraw the modern architect to meet contemporary needs.
The result of the restructuring process is two autonomous homes: one facing south, brighter and warmer, whose scope corresponds to the original common spaces and service area, and where the existing facilities are used so that a single curve is capable of catalyze all the uses and actions of the house. On the opposite side, the area occupied by the North house corresponds to the primitive private bedroom spaces, in addition to the main distributor which, after the intervention, adopts the plasticity necessary to absorb irregularities in the floor plan.
