Two Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura

Two Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura - Exterior Photography, ForestTwo Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura - Interior Photography, Living Room, Wood, BeamTwo Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura - Interior Photography, Bedroom, BeamTwo Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura - Exterior Photography, Facade, WindowsTwo Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura - More Images+ 18

Vidrà, Spain
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Two Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Andrés Flajszer

Text description provided by the architects. The plot, located on the street Calle de la Font, has a demanding topography with more than four meters of unevenness on the north-south axis. The road, on the south façade, has a slope that exceeds 20% and surrounds the house until it ends in a substantially flat open space to the north, forming a very pleasant space in the summer. On the other hand, the plot benefits from a very good orientation, with sunlight all day and privileged views of the surrounding landscape; the mountains of Bisaura, the town, and, above all, the church and its bell tower.

Two Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura - Exterior Photography, Forest
© Andrés Flajszer

This is a project developed by Vivet de Vidrà Carpentry, owner of the site. The main objectives of the project are, on the one hand, to achieve low environmental impact and high energy efficiency, and on the other, to offer a high-quality product at a competitive cost and finally, proposing an architecture integrated into the landscape.

Two Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Andrés Flajszer
Two Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura - Exterior Photography, Windows
© Andrés Flajszer
Two Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura - Exterior Photography, Facade, Windows
© Andrés Flajszer

To solve this triple objective, the proposal is to:
Work with bare, neutral materials with the idea of making the most of the characteristics of each material and reducing the environmental impact in the construction process. Thus, a large concrete plinth is projected that resolves the unevenness of the plot. The entire project is developed with dry construction based on a laminated wood structure, interior finishes of three-layer fir panels, insulation of wood fibers, and a ventilated façade with a wood-cement composite panel. In addition, a commitment is made to minimizing the openings and placing the essential ones strategically to achieve good solar radiation. In this way, the building behaves fabulously well since there are almost no thermal bridges, reducing consumption to a minimum throughout their useful life.

Two Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura - Interior Photography, Living Room, Wood, Beam
© Andrés Flajszer
Two Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura - Image 18 of 23
Floor Plan - Lot
Two Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura - Image 21 of 23
Section
Two Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura - Interior Photography, Kitchen, Countertop, Windows, Beam, Sink
© Andrés Flajszer

Secondly, standardization and BIM modeling have been prioritized. The entire organization of the space responds to the 1.25 module of the panels. In this way, the waste of material is avoided and costs are considerably reduced and hardly any waste is generated in the building process. On the other hand, the floor plan is an exercise in programmatic efficiency. The minimum area possible has been built without sacrificing spatial quality. There are no unused passage spaces, the entire floor plan is organized around a humid core that groups bathrooms, kitchen, and all services (hot water risers, heating, electricity, drains...). In this way, we find a highly technical central space and thus the facades are freed from technical commitments beyond isolation.

Two Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura - Interior Photography, Bedroom, Beam
© Andrés Flajszer

Finally, the formal strategy and materiality are a consequence of the reading of the Bisaura landscape. Not only does the wood, the tile, and the composite panel of the façade evoke the landscape and its materiality, but also the volume itself stands out with its openings, small and vertical, and the large holes on the south façade. The volumetric forcefulness of an almost abstract piece anchored to the landscape stands out, like the great farmhouses of the 19th century, so characteristic of Vidrà.

Two Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura - Interior Photography, Fence, Handrail, Deck, Beam
© Andrés Flajszer

In short, it is a project that, beyond environmental requirements and execution costs, provides an efficient response to the basic needs of living: a small refuge that does not renounce the emotional capacity of architecture.

Two Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura - Exterior Photography, Windows, Facade
© Andrés Flajszer

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Cite: "Two Houses at Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura" [Dos casas en Vidrà / Sau Taller d'Arquitectura] 05 Jan 2023. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/994401/two-houses-at-vidra-sau-taller-darquitectura> ISSN 0719-8884

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