Arched ceilings and vibrant green steel frames make up the Brick Vault House in the suburb of New Santa Barbara in , Spain. This is the first residential project by UK based studio and it is a quirky, geometric intervention that serves as a prototype for future housing in the region. Space Popular founders Lara Lesmes and Fredrik Hellberg are known for their distinct use of colour and futuristic imagery which has playfully influenced the design of this home.
Seemingly a conventional villa from the street, the entrance sequence gradually reveals different features and varying scales of the house. The slender steel frames, arrestingly green against the white rendered walls, form a grid system that supports the entire building over three levels. Space Popular wanted their first house to serve as a prototype for developers explaining that they proposed the grid system to resolve “typical details that would allow them to create different configurations in the following houses, avoiding replication but still maintain some level of standardisation.”
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Inside the house, brick-vaulted ceilings connect the steel frames providing texture and warmth against a simple material palette. These arches are called Guastavino vaults – a version of Catalan vault named after a Spanish architect and builder Rafael Guastavino. Not only are the vaults beautifully expressive, they are also structural, self-supporting arches that can be constructed by hand without the need for scaffolding or formwork.
Composed of intersecting vaults, the internal staircase is a bit of a brain teaser. Although it seems like a labour-intensive feature, it is comparatively more cost effective than a concrete stair. All internal spaces have been organised around this central staircase which connects three levels of open plan living areas and bedrooms.
Brick Vault House has been designed with a sense of flexibility in mind. The grid generates inhabitable internal spaces as well as framed exterior spaces that can adapt to the changing needs of residents. With the ability to be rolled out on other sites, Space Popular have created a fiercely inventive home that will no doubt challenge typical housing typologies in Spain.
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