fuertespenedo arquitectos adds concrete volume to traditional stone house in spain

fuertespenedo arquitectos has restored an old rural house located on a steep plot in muros, spain. muros is a small traditional coastal town, consisting of stone houses and granaries that once housed, dried and treated the corn plantations. the architects’ proposal is based on the understanding of the surroundings: the scale of the rural nucleus, the pre-existing housing, the materiality of the stone, the 180º views of the estuary and the sunlight have all been taken into consideration. 

all images by héctor santos díez

before fuertespenedo arquitectos‘s modifications, the house was originally composed of two attached stone volumes, responding to the traditional galician housing scheme where the main spaces are the stables and the kitchen. as time passed, a third volume was added and a series of alterations were made that inevitably distorted the initial character. the three volumes were adapted to the slope, protected from the winds, but almost blocked all views of the muros estuary, giving rise to a compartmentalized interior, of small and dark spaces.

aiming to highlight the traditional identity of the building and create a well-lit, fluid interior, the designers decided to maintain the original volumes in their form, and replace the third addition. therefore, the built set was completed with a new concrete volume with large windows that open onto the views of the estuary, with oriented positions that reflect the use inside, as well as the dialogue with the existing surroundings. the whole intervention has been carried out with a strong commitment to the sincere use of materials, limiting stone maintenance, and introducing exposed concrete and zinc in order to unify the roofs. in addition, three skylights of different dimensions were placed in the dining room, the shower and the old stables area, providing generous natural lighting to the house. 

the interior is considered as a fluid space in which, as a journey, residents travel through the different heights and rooms, enjoying the unique character of each area. playing with the scale, the visual connections and the light, a continuous spatial system was created that structures the whole experience of the house. the wood, galician pine, as the main material featured in  the interior, provides a warm feeling of intimacy inside the new living environment. 

project info:

architecture studio: fuertespenedo arquitectos
lead architects: óscar fuertes dopico, iago fernández penedo
trainee architect: jorge fernández alonso
area: 219,00 m2 
building engineer: carmen lousame lópez
structural engineering: suárez y garcía a2
builder: abaco CR S.L