House in Islas Bikini
HOUSE IN ISLAS BIKINI
Hollegha Arquitectos
YEAR
2009
LOCATION
Madrid, Spain
CATEGORY
Houses
Text description provided by architect.
To make a building of 4.75m width and 13m length not look narrow might be impossible. Nevertheless, interiors were supposed to be spacious and generous.
Time to rethink traditional systems! The architects came up with a façade concept that occupies only 18cm and offers perfect insulation for both cold and heat. Columns are visible in the interior.
The relation between in and out is very much perceptible in the whole building. Due to its proportions, you may see the sun rise and set without leaving the room.
Interaction between life on the street and life inside the house is continuous but unobtrusive.
The topography of the site is used to separate the private and non-private areas by designing two different accesses at different levels.
Structural elements are displayed in the material they are made of, so the stairs connecting the three levels of the living area appear as a folded steel panel, and the rivets that hold the wooden façade elements create a visible geometric pattern.
The whole building follows a grid of 90 (15-30-45-90) for all measures and distances. This system, appearing originally in traditional japanese architecture, builds the rhythm of architecture, comparable to times in music.
Large windows at ground level connect exterior and interior while giving the building a touch of weightlessness.
