‘lara rios house and atelier’ by f451,gijón, asturias, spain all images courtesy of f451 arquitectura
this live/work space for artist lara rios, designed by spanish practice F451 arquitectura, finds refuge in the landscape of a coastal town in the gijon, a centrally located asturian town flanked by beaches and shipyards. the language of industrial warehouse architecture comingles with the need for a pared-down living space that makes use of the peak volumes of north light afforded by the site. the sloped land served to challenge the arrangement of a program brief that required domestic spaces, guest rooms, a garage and, most importantly, studio spaces. the result is a home that does not rest on the ground but rather emerges from the earth’s interior with faceted volumes that align the bulk of the structure with a garden and finally orthogonally unhinge on the western side. the relationship of built space and ground changes as the plan progresses. the studio, guest house and garage are linked by an elegantly sloped green roof that partially embeds the soaring white form into the greenery. while the stucco and resin exterior creates seamless white planes, corrugated metal panes and honeycomb clay block walls increase thermal insulation and a pristine industrial interior. all the inner spaces are intentionally oriented in two directions with strategically placed apertures to maximize landscape views.
the entrance view belies the architecture’s intimate relationship to the landscape
the southern facade is an orthogonal gesture into the sloped landscape
a green roof insulates the guest house while connecting the architecture to the environment
the kitchen leads out to a patio with pavers
(left): a view of the living room (right): view out from the master bedroom–an integration of landscape and architecture were central to the project, especially given the nearby oak trees
a view of the second level highlights the diffused light into the first floor
interior view of the studio with its band of glazing
the studio space makes use of the ample north ight using perforations in corrugated metal paneling
at night, the building glows in the landscape
landscape and architecture connection diagram
program diagram
floor plan level 0
floor plan level 1
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