Yaya house / Manuel Ocaña

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Architect: Manuel Ocaña Arquitectos
Location: Calle Pelayo, Madrid,
Collaborators: Roberto González García, Maja Frackowiack, Michael Rabold y Sebastian Camacho (ground painting)
Project year: 2005-2006
Promotor: Benedicta Uría
Contractor: Manuel Ocaña
Constructed Area: 67 sqm
Budget: $75,000 EURO (US $104,775)
Photographs: Miguel de Guzman

construction process


This is a project where one cannot dismiss the personal dimension of the commission: the refurbishment of an attic for my mother-in-law, Canadian, my daughters’ grandmother. It is a project that detects traces, records them, and leaves new prints for the ‘next one’ that may wish to search. And the idea is to build it following a different protocol. This new construction protocol, its agents and that sort of mystique of the traces will be the ‘Project’.

An oak dais of 140 millimeters over furried boards seems to be the appropriate canvas to register the levels of the traces and then build the dwelling on top in order to silence them. The work starts at floor level after the usual procedures of spatial and structural cleansing. That floor, that surface, shall unveil the encountered traces. On the one hand detecting the traces, discovering a network of concealed geometries that are outlined when laying the floors through a precise detailing of the boards; on the other, the new traces are stamped by drawing on top of the discovered geometries the portrait of the beautiful woman that will live in the house. This involves a carpenter, an enthusiastic student of fine arts, Photoshop, the Xiladecor palette on the market, aniline and a set of gouges to engrave the drawing in the terrace. End of the first stage.
construction process

construction process

The unveiled geometry and the three rear windows determine the repositioning of the partition walls that define the two bedrooms and bathroom required. And the leitmotiv of the next step of the building protocol is ‘on top and dry’. Everything built is dry and on top of… there are no interferences; not among the materials, not among systems, not among the guilds that participate. The trace of the portrait is silenced by placing the partitions and furniture on top. There are only wonderful stains on the floor. Perhaps the next resident will discover the secret.

 
 
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I’m not very fond of the funny composite photographs, but this looks like a lovely house (especially given the budget!) I wish we could see more of what looks like the great kitchen.

http://www.contemporaryartdaily.com

 
# December 28, 2008 at 15:55
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petrusmaximus says:

very fresh idea this material is, but gives the impression of a toybox house for me

i don’t think it is suitable for a family house

 
# December 28, 2008 at 20:05
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It looks like quality work for such a low budget. It’d be nice to see it presented in a different fashion.
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http://sinkingcities.com

 
# December 28, 2008 at 23:42
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uniqueannick says:

Fantastic floor design. I really enjoy the use of different colored wood to show the different values in the face. Beautiful but I am not as big of a fan of the walls and ceiling being the same…I think maybe the beams be a different material or all one kind of wood? Just a thought.

 
# January 5, 2009 at 16:42
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luna says:

it is scare to live in a room like this

 
# May 5, 2009 at 15:36
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walter faulk says:

yikes! exposed Oriented Strand Board as wall & ceiling covering, gross. dont tell me OSB is hipp in spain.

 
# May 27, 2009 at 12:45
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2:57 PM Jul 26th

Fantastic #photographic #presentation technique: http://t.co/zGrBhcf #in #fb

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