Casa Delpin / Fuster + Partners Architects
Architects: Nataniel Fúster/ FUSTER + Partners Architects
Location: Miramar, Puerto Rico
Design team: Nataniel Fúster, George Stewart, Angel Rodriguez
Program: House Refurbishment
Client: Carlos y Eneida Delpin
Contractors: Julio vega, Marcelino Mojica
Structural Engineer: Luis Daza
Budget: US 400,000
Project year: 2006
Photographs: Fuster + Partners
” …a great deal of the history of Architecture can be understood as an intent to transform horizontal or diagonal light into light that will look vertical.”
A. Campo Baeza
Casa Delpín is the product of the renovation and addition to an existing single-family structure located on a small lot on the Miramar sector in San Juan. The existing structure was typical of many suburban houses in the metropolitan area with dark, hot, segregated interior spaces that negated any relationship between the interior and the exterior.
floor plans
The design objective was to create a spatially rich living experience and provide for a greater capacity for passive lighting and cooling, while also allowing for the use of mechanical cooling when needed. This is achieved through a variety of construction elements. The perforated glass reinforced concrete (GRC) panels (that mimic the patterns of the hydraulic concrete floor tiles designed for this house that also complement the preexisting tiles) help to redefine and reorient exterior public patios and interstitial spaces towards the interior. This strategy of absorbing the remnant exterior areas of the lot into the family’s living spaces allows the house to open up (both horizontally as well as vertically) while, at the same time, providing greater privacy. Additionally, the new materials and finishes attempt to dialogue with the existing ones while gaining their own expressive independence, at times through contrast but through parity as well.
The main character of the addition is natural light, which vertically penetrates and diffuses throughout the house through deep cylindrical skylights and GRC “screens” to reflect on the exposed materials and watery surface of the pool. The spatially and temporally dramatic quality of the pool brings climatic focus (visual and sensorial) to both the dinning and living rooms that border it on two sides.
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- floor plans
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- elevation
A simple and beautiful display of a modern urban house. Good transitions, great living room space. One of our recent iconic houses on the island. En horabuena. – JJ
I like it a lot, interesting, playful forms. I don’t think I would last a day in it though with that floor pattern…
Fuster + Partners? Really, that is your firm name? I mean you do realize it sounds almost exactly like Foster + Partners? I doubt anyone is going to hire you by accidentally mistaking the name.
Otherwise I like the circular skylights.
LOOL, you know what I did not notice that’s its not foster+ partners till I read your comment :)
Fuster + Partners = m e d i o c r i t y
oh lucas grow upo already
fuster…. thats funny but the thing looks good!
The floor pattern is disturbing.
a little to much enclosing…at least that’s what ir seems…and the skylights??well, much more closer to a museum or library kind of language than a house…but overall, some pleasant spaces…
great light effects, and the plan really looks like some modern between-wars architects..
but, seriously… fuster and partners. very clever name! you need to enjoy that “coincidence”..
the pool space is really pleasant…the floor pattern is nauseating. The main facade is very bad though. There is no consistency. I like the large screen, but then that is ruined by that odd window on the main level. oh well, im just jealous i don’t live there :-(
Bobos!! Fuster is the guy’s lastname. It’s not his fault it is so similar to Foster. One is of English origin, the other is Catalonian. How smart from you.
Bobo?…lo conosco personalmente y si es cierto que es su apellido pero lo de usar el nombre tal como la oficina de Foster no es coincidencia, siempre le encanta usar “cosas” prestadas…I know Fuster and it is his lastname but it is no coincidence that he uses the exact name of Foster office…he likes a lot to use details by others in a mannerisn style
the return of La Tourette
That’s what I was thinking. Le Corb certainly has a hand in Fusters design.
Every time I say “Fuster” I think of it sounding like a French person saying “Foster” lol.
Everything Is Illuminated! :-D
Although the light is sort of cool, I think I’d go nuts in there. Hey isn’t San Juan the tropics?
Has anyone asked the owners if they still like the house after a few weeks? I bet it’s hot in there and the skylights leak.
The architect’s name sounds like a deliberate gimmick. Come on … does any one really think they can be confused with Sir. Norman (Master)? Surely this is a ‘jest’.
I believe this is an old house that was renovated. The floor pattern was design in homage to the old existing floor pattern that’s in the kitchen area and the rest of the existing house. Back in the day it was very popular to have that kind of floor pattern in Puerto Rico.
I think it looks great, very nice project.
Guys sorry to burst your bubble (joke) – but the floor pattern actually works. Locally (Malta) the vernacular houses have that pattern and other similar ones due to the production of cement tiles and they’re gorgeous. They make wonderful interiors.
aside from the mies chairs, great project :) it’s rigourous yet quirky…responds to local tradition…and the designers weren’t afraid to take a few risks knowing that there’d be some naysayers. i like.
i’d lose the “+ partners” though…it’s bound to attract the wrong kind of attention…as noted above!
1:07 PM Jan 24th
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