Space Internacional have been shortlisted in the ID&A Awards 2014, with their project entering the Glasshouse over £50,000 category.
The purpose of this project was clear: to create a house in which a balance between modernity and coziness was struck.
This weekend retreat is projected on a land of little over 1,000 square meters and it is articulated in two main volumes: a prism into which another rectangular wooden prism is embedded.
The first prism consists of a black metal structure that ends on an exposed concrete staple. The two fronts of this volume are made of glass, which helps create a transparency to the interior area and gives a feeling of permanently being in touch with nature.
The second volume is a cantilevered wooden cube, under which a terrace is generated. Requirements for the design of this project included a swimming pool, and we fulfilled them by creating one and covering it with black venetian glass tiles. In this way, the swimming pool was turned into a water mirror that reflects the house.
For this project, we decided to integrate art into architecture so that the selected works became a part of the design instead of functioning as mere decorative items. In addition to the painting, Juan Carlos Baumgartner designed a mural that works both as the visual end of the swimming pool and as the vestibule of the house entrance.
The house has four bedrooms, a double-height living room and an open plan kitchen that is integrated into the space. In the living area, a modern cast glass sphere chandelier hangs from the ceiling. We used recycled content materials low in VOC levels and wood from certified forests. Furthermore, the lighting is almost entirely LED-based.
As in all the projects of SPACE, we followed sustainable design guidelines when designing Casa ALD. The owners, a young couple with two daughters, were looking for a spacious place, full of natural light, with a garden and open spaces. By using few but carefully selected materials, we created delightful areas that met our clients’ expectations.
