House FRU / Roberto Lebrero + Borja Gómez

The ruins are inhabited through a design that embraces the place and the value of the old material. It sets this as a starting point. Reusing the material, understanding old local construction techniques, and choosing the right structural system lead to the final solution. Through a structural concrete frame, the livable plane is elevated above the terrain. This structural frame sets the master line from which a light self-standing wood structure defines the light roofing. This wood-frame structure is carefully designed, cut, and set in place in order to define the geometry, volume, and materiality of the space. The multilayered stone façade surrounds the building providing excellent insulation and thermal inertia. The ceiling height and the location of the openings provide either cross-ventilation or chimney effect when requested.

The interior is designed as an open, flexible space filled with the program. Aside from the street, the functional program is set, toward the patio, and the private spaces are located. The room’s height is limited by the use of the ‘Spanish sobrado’ The windows are carefully set to capture views and light, allowing multiple cross-views. The spatial sequence provided by the patio, terrace, and garden interlaces interior and exterior through a series of intermediate spaces that provide cross-views, transparencies, and reflections.