HÄUSER AWARD 2012 - Preisbewusst bauen

J HOUSE, a “wrapping” for everyday life.
How to combine an adequate privacy together with a straight relationship with the outdoor space in a small urban plot? How to enhance the spatial experience in a reduced residential program?
The building section articulates the public and private areas of the house. On the one hand, the sunny, open and transparent ground floor dissolves into the garden, whereas on the other hand a secretive, cagey and bright first floor introduces a more nuanced interior-exterior relationship. Here, the desired privacy is achieved by several patios enclosed by round-shaped lattice walls that allow seeing without being seen, and help to regulate the intense light of Valencia.
The hanging iron staircase acts as “transitional” device between the two floors. The spatial layout on both levels seeks to achieve further visual depth by constructing several interior-exterior sequences. This is the project of a house characterized by its topological qualities rather than by its functional ones. The distinct and qualified spaces allow their residents to enjoy everyday experiences.