The house proposed by Canobardin was designed as a relaxing living and working space, composed of a main volume, parallel to the street alignment, which acts as a visual barrier and houses the main spaces, and a studio, attached to the back of the house, accessed by a separate path through a courtyard that establishes a connection with the surroundings and nature.
The house studio is organized into two distinct main areas, following a gradient of privacy articulated by the treatment of light and combined with white finishes. On the left side are the bedrooms, sheltered by wide load-bearing walls; on the opposite side are the kitchen, living area, and garden, with glass-enclosed spaces that connect to the studio, characterized by its large glass enclosures and its break with the proportions and straight shapes of the main volume.
House-Studio by Canobardin. Photograph by Imagen Subliminal.
Project description by Canobardin
On an 800 m² plot in Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid), sits this Studio-House developed by the Canobardin architectural firm and created for its everyday needs. This building challenges the boundaries between work and home, public and private, yet simultaneously integrates into the natural environment and guarantees privacy from neighbors and between those who live in the House or work in the Studio.
The site has an upward slope that extends from the northeast entrance to the southwest, influencing the layout and orientation of this Studio-House. The single-story building, partially buried in the ground, adapts to the topography, creating a sense of isolation and privacy from the taller neighboring houses.
The building is perceived as a single volume, but actually has a workspace and a living area, both distinct on the floor plan and with completely independent entrances.
From the exterior of the plot, the first thing one notices is the volume occupied by the Studio, parallel to the street, which also acts as a visual barrier and hides the House behind it. The Studio was designed as a double-height box with a mezzanine. Natural light enters the room through two large windows of different shapes and sizes. Canobardin's interior design is minimalist, combining pure white walls with wood details around them.
The House is attached to the Studio and is accessed via a separate path. This ensures that studio visitors do not interfere with family life, thus separating the two worlds. Upon entering the home, the first thing one encounters is a light well with diverse vegetation that creates a fresh atmosphere and brings natural light into the interior. The architects' symbolic intention in designing this small courtyard was to create a place of calm and connection with nature within the home itself.
The internal layout of the House is organized into two distinct areas. On the left side of this interior courtyard is the private area containing the bedrooms, sheltered by wide load-bearing walls that provide thermal protection and a sense of refuge and privacy. On the opposite side are the kitchen and living areas, which open to the garden through large glass enclosures. It is here that the project leaders created a space that breaks with the proportions and straight lines of the Studio House. A lightweight slab supported by three thin metal pillars anchors this polyhedral space, which also features a vibrant color palette that blends and captures the interior with the exterior. The architects designed this large living and dining room, where natural light floods the space and from which the changing seasons can be observed and enjoyed. The living room features a custom-made sofa that follows the floor plan, a fireplace, and direct access to the garden with a pool.
Energy Efficiency and Savings
In the design of the Studio House, the architects sought to make it easy to live in and cost-effective, so they implemented measures that promoted water savings and energy efficiency. To protect the home from excessive sunlight, roller blinds were installed inside the living room. In the garden, a lightweight latticework of hemp ropes was also constructed to filter sunlight inside, while maintaining the visual connection with the landscape. Heating and air conditioning is provided by an underfloor heating/cooling aerothermal system that relies on solar energy capture through photovoltaic solar panels hidden in the roof.
To reduce water consumption, a cistern was installed and buried to collect and store rainwater from the roof, which is then used for irrigation and maintenance of the outdoor spaces.
Canobardin conceived this Studio House as a space that reflects a way of living and working, easy and efficient to maintain, and connected to the garden. A refuge where one could enjoy family, nature, and the passing of the seasons, adapting to the daily needs of all its users.
