Location: Las Acacias, Madrid, Spain
Architects: Husos
Photo: José Hevia
Source: Archdaily.com
The microclimate is the main theme of this apartment of 46 square meters, in Madrid, designed to be as cool as possible, in the hot summer of Madrid, to house in maximum comfort a doctor working at ER and his dog, without turning on the air conditioning if not strictly necessary.
The functions were therefore arranged to remove any obstacle to ventilation offered by the double opening, and to comply with the owner’s lifestyle. One of the lengthwise walls of the apartment has been then equipped with a large niche, where it has been placed a mattress for the siestas during the day, necessary for the rest of a doctor on call; next to the niche, a wall with multiple shelves hides the wardrobe, next to the bedroom, which can be seen or hidden thanks to sliding walls.
A skillful use of melamine panels provided different functions to be aligned on the same wall, thus leaving all the remaining space for the other destinations, kitchen, dining room and bathroom. The Husos architectural studio, which took care of the project, also carefully studied an irrigation system for the vertical edible garden on the balcony, which reuses the water from the shower, appropriately filtered.
The niche for the siesta, if necessary, can be turned into a guest room, thus saving the space of a sofa bed, or it can be closed and used as a screen for projections, replacing the TV. The apartment has been designed to be as social as possible with the neighbors, as in the houses with the central patio, typically Spanish.
The finishings of the melamine panels come in a light Scandinavian-inspired colour, which at the same time gives a wink to the Mediterranean. The panels form niches and doors to store everything you need, so as to keep everything tidy, while also isolating the walls from the winter cold, and comfortable cushions offer comfort to the doctor and his dog.
