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Architects: Manzoniterra Arquitectos
- Area: 41 m²
- Year: 2020
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Photographs:Marcos Guiponi
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Manufacturers: AutoDesk, Bia, El puntal, Hierros Sabatini, Sodimac
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Lead Architect: Manzoniterra Arquitectos
“We have been working on recycling and renovations for some time, and one of the things that animate us regarding these commissions is the act of creating a tension between the old and the new... The typologies of the standard houses or traditional "Patio House" of Montevideo, with high ceilings, load-bearing walls, vaults, joists, and small compartments do not usually adapt spatially to the demands of contemporary living. However, these houses do have heigh ceilings and materials of great aesthetic value. Combining the old and imperfect with the new, fine and delicate is what it is all about... Finding a tectonic balance that allows a certain rusticity, warmth and material nakedness, in contrast to the minimalist sobriety and synthetic perfection of the machine-made. We believe that there is much to explore in the fusion of old and new and that this project is a beginning for us...
Reform of a house located in Brazo Oriental, MVD, Uy.
The clients had a minimum budget and before moving, they requested the accessibility to the rooftop to be improved, which will act as a garden in height since the house did not have a courtyard with soil.
There were two very steep wooden stairs connecting a small dining room with a closed mezzanine and the rooftop. The entrance to it was an old shed where you had to stand crouching.
The concept starts from integrating the social areas of the house (living room, dining room, mezzanine and rooftop-garden) through a single open and continuous space, which will connect the three interior environments with the rooftop terrace. Despite the low budget, a partial restructuring was carried out including, among other things, the renovation of the kitchen and new finishes.
Two linear staircases were placed against the party walls and the plasters were removed, leaving the original brick bare. Finally, a metal booth was built with a side skylight allowing covered access to the roof garden and bathing the interior of the house with diffuse light. The new exit allowed to gain a “desk” space open to the living-dining room and to improve the general lighting of the house.
