An adaptable home

Casa Mintacá is a housing project designed to be inhabited by a family of four people and a cat, located on a plot surrounded by nature in Guasca, Cundinamarca, Colombia. The house is located in an area of isolated houses with large natural plots and is surrounded by hills that define the landscape and views of the area. The climate is relatively cold, so the house addresses issues of space adaptation according to the uses and different times of the day and season.

Composition and versatility

The house is composed of three solid isolated volumes joined by a large cover that generates an open central space, closed by a large glass wall that allows capturing heat with the afternoon sun. Since its first use, the house and its uses have been changing, without hierarchies in the central space, which gives it good versatility and the ability to adapt to different forms, configurations, and vital needs of its inhabitants.

Environment, landscape and nature 

An important earthmoving operation is carried out on the land to collect water and create different areas in the garden, as well as to open and close views. The relationship with the landscape is fundamental, turning the house into a landscaping operation where the garden literally enters the volumes of the house and there are always cross views in relation to the environment.

Bioclimatic, affordable and natural construction

Different climatic zones are established within the house according to privacy, thanks to the greenhouse and the boxes. Despite being in a cold area, where temperatures can drop to 0 degrees some nights, it has not been necessary to install heating, and the fireplace is used on a few occasions. The bioclimatic design allows taking advantage of the heat stored with the greenhouse. Simple geometries and local and simple materials make the space complex, rich, and with many possibilities of use, complying with high climatic, versatility of use, and spatial qualities.

A home for life: meeting, growth and adaptability

The house is designed to be a space for family gathering and adaptability. In addition, creativity is promoted in children, who discover places to grow and explore in spaces that were not originally designed for them. The direct families of Juana and Federico have found in Casa Mintacá a home where they can restructure the time they spend visiting family and sharing moments. In addition, the non-human members of the family have turned the house into a space of their own and very usable.

La entrada Casa Mintacá se publicó primero en zuloark.

Renovation of an apartment in Via Caserma, Sestola (MO)

At the foot of Monte Cimone, in the heart of the Modenese Apennines, the village of Sestola preserves a dense historical landscape of layers. There, between the bell tower of the main church and the medieval fortress, stands one of the oldest buildings in the area: a building that was first a prison, then a barracks, then a hotel and finally a residence. This succession of functions and transformations has left a deep imprint on the built material, a collective narrative made of sandstone, thick walls, contained openings and inhabited memories.

The renovation of the flat on the first floor confronts this complexity with an attentive and receptive gaze. The project is based on the idea that all architecture can – and must – learn. Learning from history and its traces, from the natural and urban context, from the people who inhabit and transform spaces, and from those who design and build them with knowledge and care. In this case, the work has been carried out in close collaboration with local craftsmen, who have an in-depth knowledge of the type of construction and the materials of the territory. This link with local knowledge has become a fundamental part of the project’s approach.

The new interior design enhances the character of the existing building, without trying to restore an idealised past, but rather making the transformations visible through precise interventions and the use of materials in contrast with the original context. The kitchen – the distribution core of the home – separates the day area, which faces east and opens onto the Scoltenna valley, from the night area, which faces the old town. Two skylights have been introduced to allow natural light to penetrate the innermost part of the house, overcoming the limitations of medieval constructions and making the most of every opportunity for light and the eye to pass through the space.

The existing openings in the load-bearing walls have been recovered as functional and poetic passages: a niche for the washbasin in the bathroom, a shelf in the bedroom, a serving hatch between the kitchen and the living room. A section of stone wall has been brought back into view in the living room as a gesture of revelation and a material testimony of time.

This house, like many of the buildings in the Apennines, is not only a habitable interior, but a threshold between different times: it protects the natural and cultural landscape and at the same time transforms it into new ways of living. In this sense, the project is also an exercise in attention and listening, a search for continuity between contemporary living and the memory of the place. A small gesture of care that demonstrates how architecture can be a tool for learning – and restoring – meaning and value to places.

La entrada Sestola House se publicó primero en zuloark.

Ecological refurbishment of a duplex penthouse after a fire

Taüll House is a complete renovation of an attic, part of a mountain housing complex destroyed after a fire. Taüll is a small village in the Pyrenees of Lleida, located at an altitude of 1,500 meters, in an idyllic natural setting surrounded by pastures and forests. The original house featured stone cladding, wood details, and slate roofs.

The main constraint of the project is the structural replacement carried out by the insurance company after the fire: an oversized arrangement of laminated wooden beams with a marked rhythm that defined the interior partitions.

The project’s premise was to achieve a space as open as possible, both vertically and horizontally, that would be versatile. The house is conceived as a large extruded triangle under a gable roof, creating a space with two levels. Openings in the façades are expanded towards the views to introduce abundant natural light. Additionally, the division of space into two levels allows the areas to be differentiated according to levels of privacy and improves movement flow on the lower level, with the main functions located on the ground floor. The staircase is custom-designed to connect the two levels.

Through movable modules that open and close within the walls, versatile and compact storage spaces are created in the main rooms or transit areas. The house’s climate control is also improved by introducing a heating and DHW system through a pellet boiler supported by thermal solar panels, as well as insulation with certified sheep wool “jersey” of twenty centimeters thick.

As for finishes, the flooring is natural oak wood, four centimeters thick, with a natural beeswax varnish. Ecological paints and resins are used, and the bathrooms are finished with Tadelakt, an eco-friendly, hand-polished coating.

La entrada Taüll House se publicó primero en zuloark.

An intimate hideout in Andalucía

Casa Patio is a renovation of a small apartment in the historic center of Córdoba, located in the Axerquía neighborhood, near La Corredera and Plaza de las Cañas. This plaza takes its name from the ancient game of “las cañas,” of Moorish origin, that was once practiced there.

Amid churches, palm trees, schools, and terraces, the neighborhood’s residents gather, surrounded by early 20th-century buildings with architectural features typical of Andalusia from that period.

The project is located in one of these buildings, where the central patio, a typical feature of Córdoba, serves as a distribution space to access the eleven apartments that make up the residential community. The shared rooftop is a gathering place and a space for performing household tasks, such as drying laundry. Most of the common areas retain their original finishes, including vibrant, locally made tiles.

In just 30 m², Casa Patio features four balconies: two facing the plaza, with views of date palms, ginkgos, and jacarandas, and two facing the patio, filled with refreshing greenery. Light plays a starring role in these spaces, casting shadows and textures in every corner.

Spatially, the layout has been minimized, combining the living room, kitchen, and dining area into a single space that opens onto the plaza. The bathroom and bedroom face the patio, offering a more intimate atmosphere. All these elements revolve around a sofa, designed and built from brick masonry, as is the kitchen—both elements inspired by local architectural heritage.

The materials used are traditional: clay tile flooring in the bathroom and bedroom, Macael marble for the kitchen countertop, and natural plaster for smoothing the walls. We preserve the original hydraulic tile floor, commonly used during the first half of the 20th century.

La entrada Patio House se publicó primero en zuloark.

Renovation and extension of a rural family house in San Giovanni in Persiceto, Bologna

Little Brick House is a renovation project on a Persiceto rural house, a typical sample of the of the mid-twentieth century Bolognese countryside house typology. The clients are Ellen, Michele, Tommaso and Nicola, a young family who decided to move away from the historic center of Bologna and build a house to suit them in a quieter area of the city.

Valorization of the local typological heritage: The house that learns from time and context

If architecture is not used, it inevitably falls into ruin. For this reason, the primary challenge in a renovation is to adapt it to contemporary needs without compromising its essence. Built in 1954, the house features a brick structure, wooden roof, central staircase, three floors, and two rooms per floor—a simple, austere, and very typical typology for the region. The first necessary intervention involved structurally consolidating the building, with only minimal modifications to the spatial layout.

The needs of a modern family differ significantly from those of a family nearly 70 years ago. The way people live in a house has changed dramatically. We determined that the house required an extension on the ground floor—a newly built addition with entirely different characteristics—to accommodate the functions absent in the original structure.

The clients desired a large, open space on the ground floor, merging the kitchen and living room into a single area where daily life could unfold. This design allows for visual continuity with the garden, enabling the children to play and explore freely while remaining within view.

Adapting spaces to contemporary living: The house that learns from its inhabitants

Ellen is Swedish, and Michele is Italian, each bringing a distinct cultural approach to living that needed to be reflected in their new home. While Michele felt represented by the traditional local house, the newly built extension provided an opportunity to incorporate elements typical of Swedish architectural culture. These include large windows with natural pine joinery, where it is customary to place a table lamp on the windowsill during evening hours, and the use of exposed brick as an exterior finish.

This interplay of duality not only harmonized their cultural influences but also helped distinguish the new construction from the pre-existing structure.

Energy and technological adaptation: The house that learns from the climatic emergency

When undertaking a renovation or building project, renewing our commitment to the environment becomes inevitable; every decision carries either a positive or negative impact. A 70-year-old building inherently requires adaptation, and we chose to approach this with a radical mindset.

The goal was to align the house as closely as possible with passive house standards, enhancing the thermal inertia of the structure, maximizing the efficiency of the systems, and prioritizing the use of natural materials sourced and crafted by local producers wherever possible.

La entrada Little Brick House se publicó primero en zuloark.

An experimental housing project in a coffee plantation in Cundinamarca, Colombia

Casa Tejida is an exercise in how we, as architects, can be responsible toward both the environment and the society in which our work is implemented. Throughout the design and construction process, a community of collaboration, decision-making, and coexistence emerges.

The entire process provided an opportunity for learning and training through prototyping, social inclusion, open and intelligent design, and biodiverse, low-impact architecture, resulting in alternative models for the future development of rural areas in Colombia. Casa Tejida is not only physically woven but also metaphorically intertwined with the landscape in which it is built, engaging the surrounding community.

Paradise: Nocaima

There are many paradises in the world, and La Vereda Fical is one of them. Located in the municipality of Nocaima in Cundinamarca, Colombia, it is about one and a half hours from Bogotá, the country’s capital. This rural, dispersed community is made up of approximately twenty families living along a rugged, unpaved mountain path that is difficult to access.

Each family has unique resources that they share with the rest of the community. Until recently, due to its proximity to the capital but challenging, wild terrain, the area was difficult for visitors to reach, often becoming isolated on rainy days. This distinct characteristic, along with the region’s temperate climate, has made this hillside a place of remarkable life and biodiversity.

Critical Object: Creating Learning Environments 

Casa Tejida proposes an architecture that connects with the environment and context in which it is developed, not solely through its physical form but through the learning experiences gained throughout the process. Just as formal learning has moved beyond a linear or hierarchical model of knowledge exchange, the design and construction of Casa Tejida has been guided by a commitment to fostering new forms of collaboration and exchange among all participants. Building a community of learning, exchange, and collective construction has been as essential as completing the project itself. Topics such as new approaches to architecture, agriculture, caregiving, nature, biodiversity, and landscape were addressed and discussed daily.

Living on site: Being Part of the Community

The challenging access to the construction site required us to live within the adjacent community, just a few meters from Casa Tejida. Being so close to the construction, we built new relationships within the community, valuing and sharing the local knowledge of its residents. For six months, we lived on this steep terrain.

Casa Tejida is positioned perpendicular to the contour lines, contrasting with typical local constructions. This orientation allows it to adapt more naturally to the existing topography, minimizing the need for extensive earthworks, which are common in the area. It also optimizes solar exposure and fosters distinct ecosystems on each side of the house.

Collective intelligences: Learning from different Colombian construction methods

The repetitive wooden structure of Casa Tejida is inspired by pre-Hispanic architecture, where some columns are buried in the ground while others simply rest on stones. The concept is that, in the early years, the buried pillars provide primary support for the house, but as they eventually decay, the columns resting on stones assume the load-bearing role. This three-phase design, which allowed for flexibility once construction began, gave us the opportunity to explore the region for local, non-standardized, and intelligent construction solutions that could be integrated into the design.

On the way to the site from Bogotá, we happened to meet Maria, who runs a natural fiber woven furniture business. Together, we worked on adapting her weaving techniques into a construction element, resulting in an innovative application for the project and a new opportunity for Maria’s business.

The three little pigs story was wrong: Fleeing from concrete as the only building solution

In Colombia, despite its natural wealth and forests, there is little tradition of wood construction or stilt dwellings, methods often associated with low-income communities. Casa Tejida proposes an architecture using techniques and materials that are better adapted to the local environment and climate, reducing impact while providing high-quality architectural solutions. A core objective of the project was to explore prefabricated solutions with a high level of craftsmanship, where wood and metal artisans crafted the puzzle-like pieces for quick assembly on site. Collaborating with a small group of companies, we explored this innovative building approach in Colombia, allowing nearby communities to see alternative paradigms for housing—designs that are more respectful of the environment, better ventilated, healthier, and ultimately, more livable.

Open design

The design and construction of Casa Tejida, inspired by digital manufacturing and open-source systems, make it accessible to everyone. The growth of the structure itself has become a learning experience for the community. Beyond that, the open, replicable design was understandable to all—from the clients to the architects and designers on the team—enabling everyone to participate in the assembly. The simple, visible assembly details have made Casa Tejida’s architecture comprehensible, adaptable, and replicable by anyone, anywhere.

Less is less: Building less is a must for our future

This project has been an exercise in responsibility by our clients, Pablo and Juana, in collaboration with the architecture team. Together, we recognized that, to create a house with meaningful environmental, economic, and social impact, we needed to build less. This approach led us to rethink how one lives within the home and the range of experiences possible inside, resulting in a reduced constructed area, the elimination of corridors and transitional spaces, and the inclusion of a wooden floor that makes every corner of the house a livable space. This house minimizes not only built area but also material use, forgoing traditional elements like interior divisions, insulation, and interior finishes on the facades, floor, and roof, as the mild climate allows. The result is a house entirely open to its surroundings—where, on some mornings, clouds drift in to join for breakfast.

La entrada Woven House (Casa Tejida) se publicó primero en zuloark.

Interior design and custom furniture for Elisa and Paco’s apartment

In 2015, we carried out the renovation of an 85 m2 apartment in Saconia, a district of Madrid with interesting housing typologies. It belongs to Elisa and Paco, a couple who wanted to return to the house where they had lived 20 years ago. This old house in a block built back in the 70s had to be fitted to adapt to the reality of a couple with very specific needs, including easy storage and cleaning as well as the greatest possible comfort and absence of physical barriers.

The project maintains the original philosophy of the house and builds on it to achieve an improvement with new materials that facilitate the new needs of the house and its inhabitants. We work with the new owners down to the last detail, turning them into co-designers of the space and managing to customise the home to suit them.

Organised on the basis of a new space distribution cupboard, it is still the same house they lived in, but completely updated according to the needs they have today. The living room and kitchen merge into a large new space that welcomes people into the house, while the more private rooms are relegated to a second part of the space, distributed around the services. Both areas, public and private, are separated from each other by the cupboard.

La entrada KSA Sakonia se publicó primero en zuloark.