SAU Taller d'Arquitectura organizes the 175 m² built of the house on two floors, open to the south where the garden is located, and closed to the north to achieve privacy from the street, allowing the interior space to flow without restrictions. With this layout, the services program is positioned on the northern fringe, placing the main rooms with views of the garden to take advantage of the views and sunlight, something that also guarantees cross ventilation to all rooms.
Structurally, maximum constructive efficiency was sought, using a masonry structure on the ground floor and a SATE system (Thermal Insulation System Abroad) that guarantees the absence of thermal bridges. The first floor and the roof are resolved with a lighter system executed with a dry technology based on wood and aluminum composite panels.
MABB house by SAU Taller d'Arquitectura. Photograph by Andrés Flajszer.
MABB house by SAU Taller d'Arquitectura. Photograph by Andrés Flajszer.
Description of project by SAU Taller d'Arquitectura
The MABB house, designed by Taller SAU, is located in Argentona, a small town in the Maresme region of Barcelona, which in the mid-20th century was an important holiday resort for over 30 years.
On a south-facing plot, with a trapezoidal shape and almost flat, a 175 m² house has been built.
The main objective of the project is efficiency: both energy efficiency and programmatic efficiency. From this point of view, we have opted for a very compact volume that reduces the exterior skin to a minimum and achieves an excellent form factor.
The house opens to the south, to where the garden is located, and is closed off to the north, providing privacy regarding the street. The approach involves concentrating the utilities in a continuous north-facing area and focusing on the main rooms with views over the garden, ensuring privacy and sunlight. This enhances the visual and spatial relationship between the different living areas while ensuring increased cross ventilation to all the spaces, reinforcing the "Venturi effect".
MABB house by SAU Taller d'Arquitectura. Photograph by Andrés Flajszer.
In terms of construction, two technologies are used. The ground floor, up to a height of 4 metres, with a masonry structure and a SATE system (Exterior Thermal Insulation System) that guarantees the absence of thermal bridge breakage.
The first floor and roof are designed with a dry technology based on wood and aluminium composite panels. In this way, a heavy system is used on the ground floor and a light one on the first floor, which emphasises the compactness, the relationship with the ground and the proposal's flexibility.
In conclusion, the MABB house has been designed with a concern to fit in with the plot, opening up and shutting itself off from the surroundings in order to achieve energy efficiency while keeping in mind the optimal design of the interior living areas and focusing on efficient construction materials.
