carles oliver refurbishes rustic home in mallorca to preserve its material heritage

architect carles oliver has refurbished ‘sant miquel 19’, a home on the spanish island of mallorca. the refurbishment project was completed with a budget of €18,000 (approx. $21,000 USD), bringing an unused home back into the limited housing market. the project arose as a response to housing scarcity in the city of palma, where touristic areas suffer from a lack of residences. 

the architect chose a minimalist approach to the project
image by josé hevia

the architect chose a minimalist approach to the project, attempting to maintain the identity of the old house while creating subtle architectural changes. a large part of the budget (€12,000) was allotted towards improving the energy efficiency of the home, while €6,000 was spent on indoor rehabilitation.

the refurbishment exposes and highlights the material qualities and original character of the old home
image by josé hevia

the architect followed three tenets when approaching the project: 1. ‘not to do, as the best way to do’. 2. domestic archeology: learn how economy of means has built our cities for centuries. 3. back to the arch, as a way to open spaces without adding any new material. to open a door is not the same as building a door.’ the refurbishment thus exposes and highlights the material qualities and original character of the old home. 

the city of palma suffers from a lack of housing due to tourism
image by josé hevia

the architect focused on improving energy efficiency and maintaining quality
image by josé hevia

the rough materiality of the home combines new with old 
image by josé hevia

the arches open new architectural moments within the home
image by josé hevia

the arch is used as a way to open spaces without adding any new material
image by josé hevia

the exposed stone reveals the unique quality of the home
image by josé hevia

high ceilings and open windows allow natural light to enter the home
image by josé hevia 

the architect’s design philosophy was: ‘not to do, as the best way to do‘ 
image by carles oliver

image by carles oliver

floor plan courtesy of carles oliver

project info: 

location: palma, mallorca
promoter: lluís i maria ramis
architect: carles oliver
surface area: 105 sqm / 1,130 sqf
photography: josé hevia
provider: naturllar, huguet

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