Xavier and Laura tried not to intervene on the load-bearing walls, adapting the new layout to the existing openings. The living areas and kitchen are located on the ground floor; the bedrooms and service spaces are located on the upper level, reserving the illuminated façade for the bedrooms and the interior for bathrooms and storage.
In contrast and in coexistence with the bare walls and ceilings, except for the false plaster ceiling with mouldings, the central core and furniture of the dwelling are finished in oak wood. The flooring is in terrazzo, integrating an underfloor heating system.
Cactus House by Xavier Botet + Laura Bongiovanni. Photograph by Jose Hevia.
Project description by Xavier Botet y Laura Bongiovanni
Celebrating preexistences
The intervention consists of the rehabilitation of two late 19th-century dwellings with varying degrees of intervention in the old town of Sarrià. While the façade is protected, over time, the interior has undergone extensive modifications, eliminating the vast majority of original finishes and coverings.
The first phase of the intervention involves removing all elements that lack historical or architectural interest and highlighting the original features. Where no vestiges remained, added elements were removed to expose the original structure. The different interventions over time are revealed: the original brick vaults, later steel reinforcements, the types of bricks used in each phase, and the cast-iron pillar galleries. The proposal avoids, as much as possible, any intervention on the load-bearing walls and adapts the new layout to the existing openings.
The layout consists of two duplex dwellings connected by a communal staircase. The lower floor houses the living areas, while the upper floor is dedicated to the sleeping areas. The main rooms are positioned along the façades, while the interior space is reserved for service areas. The intervention also includes the addition of insulation through an internal lining with high-density gypsum fiber and cement panels, which helps maintain the thermal inertia of the original construction.
Materiality
The new central cores are finished with oak wood paneling. The flooring is resolved with a continuous terrazzo surface that integrates the underfloor heating system. Headboards and other furniture elements also feature an oak wood finish.
The living and dining areas share the south-facing façade. The walls are left bare, except for the historic false ceiling with plaster moldings. The rectangular beams of the upper floor slab indicate the presence of an old attic that was later repurposed for residential use.
