Dan and Imma’s apartment

This is the refurbishment of an old store in the Poblenou neighbourhood, within the 22@ district. Originally, it had the store on the ground floor and a mezzanine with a little apartment. The building dates from 1906. At a later stage, the backyard was covered to extend the store.

The refurbishment aims to turn it into a home-studio for a couple, which includes a studio space for video and photo recordings, as they work from home.

The first important decision of the project was the opening of a double-height space in part of the slab next to the rear façade, which, due to its orientation, allows direct natural light to reach the entire home. The studio space is placed under the terrace—being the darkest area and therefore most suitable—and is also connected to the living room.

The ground floor concentrates the spaces for daytime use, and the first floor contains the bedrooms. The staircase is located in a corner, open to the living room, and makes a direct link between it and the terrace. The bedrooms are separated from this main circulation route.

Regarding the façade, the apartment recedes slightly, creating an interior façade and a buffer space between the apartment and the street—improving acoustic insulation and providing space for meters, services, and storage for bicycles or strollers, etc.

The configuration of the space is achieved through wooden boxes that contain service functions (bathrooms, closets, even the bed), thus shaping a fluid yet articulated space for circulation and living areas. On the first floor, these boxes do not reach the ceiling, allowing for a full perception of the space.

Around the living room runs the main circulation of the house: the ascent to the terrace, the rear gallery, and an open walkway to access the rooms. The master bedroom on the first floor is also open to the living room. Stairs, walkways, and railings are built from steel. The railings feature extremely thin rods—almost invisible—and some sections of folded steel sheet that adapt to the truncated geometry of the floor plan.

As for finishes, plastered wall sections are combined with exposed or painted masonry. The flooring is continuous microcement, and the boxes are made of plywood with a birch finish—all in light colours. In the entrance area, exterior, and terrace, the natural colour of the masonry has been preserved, unpainted.