The materiality is proposed as bare and neutral, making the most of the characteristics of each material to reduce the environmental impact. The difference in level is resolved with a large concrete plinth on which the enclosure is installed with a laminated wood structure, interior finishes in fir, and the façade in wood-cement composite panel.
In the search for energy efficiency, the openings are minimized to face south, taking advantage of solar radiation and opening up to the exterior in the same way, in contrast to the forceful volume that forms the project.
Vivet houses by SAU Taller d'Arquitectura. Photograph by Andrés Flajszer.
Description of project by SAU Taller d'Arquitectura
Located in Vidrà, in the beautiful middle of the Bisaura, the Catalan Pre-Pyrenees, halfway between Osona, Ripollès, and Garrotxa, two semi-detached houses are proposed.
The plot, located on Carrer de la Font, has a demanding topography with more than 4 meters of slope on the north-south axis. The road, on the south façade, has a slope of more than 20% and surrounds the house until it ends in an open space that is sensibly flat to the north, which is very pleasant in summer. On the other hand, the plot benefits from a very good orientation, with sunshine all day long and enjoy the privileged views of the landscape; the Bisaura mountains, the village, and, above all, the church and its bell tower.
This is a project promoted by Carpinteria Vivet de Vidrà, owner of the site. The main objectives of the project are, on the one hand, to achieve low environmental impact and high energy efficiency; on the other, to offer a high-quality product at a competitive cost and finally, to propose an architecture integrated into the landscape.
To achieve this triple objective, it is proposed:
Firstly, to work with bare, neutral materials, with the idea of making the most of the characteristics of each one of them and reducing the environmental impact in the construction process. Thus, a large concrete plinth is planned to resolve the unevenness of the plot, and, once executed, the entire project is developed with dry construction based on a laminated wood structure, interior finishes of three-layer fir panels, wood fiber insulation, and a ventilated façade with a wood-cement composite panel. In addition, it is committed to minimizing openings and, where they are essential, placing them strategically to achieve good solar radiation and avoid losses. In this way, the houses behave fabulously well as there are almost no thermal bridges, reducing consumption to a minimum throughout their useful life.
Two houses in Vidrà by SAU Taller d'Arquitectura. Photograph by Andrés Flajszer.
Secondly, standardization and BIM modeling have been prioritized. The entire organization of the space corresponds to the 1.25 module of the panels. This avoids wastage of material and considerably reduces costs. This means that hardly any waste is generated on the construction site. On the other hand, the plant is an exercise in programmatic efficiency. As little as possible has been built without sacrificing spatial quality. There are no unused spaces; the entire floor is organized around a wet nucleus that groups together bathrooms, the kitchen, and all the services (hot water, heating, electricity, data, drains...). The central space is thus highly technical and the façades are freed of any technical constraints beyond insulation.
Finally, the formal and material strategy is a consequence of the reading of the Bisaura landscape. Not only do the wood, the tiles, and the composite panels on the façade evoke the landscape and its materiality, but the volume itself also stands out; the small, vertical openings; the large holes on the south façade, almost like exits. The volumetric forcefulness of an almost abstract piece anchored to the landscape stands out, like the large 19th-century farmhouses, so characteristic of Vidrà.
In short, this is a project that, above and beyond the environmental requirements and execution costs, provides an efficient response to the basic needs of inhabiting: a small refuge that does not renounce the emotional capacity of architecture.
