Renovating, recycling, integrating the old with the new: in architecture and design these are the new key words, and they speak an eco-friendly language. Elisabetta, of the blog Dettagli Home Decor, is ready to tell us all about it, and to accompany us to an amazing house in Formentera. Here we go!
Planning the renovation of an old house is never easy, especially when the planning includes an increased volumetric analysis. In this case it is important to find a good balance between the old and the new. The house I'm showing you today is a great example of how to combine old architecture with modern design. Maria Castellò and Daniel Redolat are the architects who designed this amazing project: the renovation and expansion of Can Manuel d'en Corda, a residence built between the 18th and the 19th century in Formentera. This particular intervention plans on renovating the existing 90 m², and adding other 500 m², leaving the traditional stone house in the foreground.
The updated volumetric analysis is based on the previous one in order to adapt to the surrounding area as much as possible, and to stick to the planimetry, adding terraced areas. What is left of the original building is the living area (living room, dining room, kitchen and terraces), while bedrooms, bathrooms, laundry room, cellar, and pantry are located in the new building area. The external façades have kept the original stone, while the walls that have been added are made of concrete and are plastered in white. The old building has a gable roof which, considering its extension, is very lightly sloping. The old building is characterized by small windows and thick walls, while the new building has huge windows and a glass wall facing the garden. Despite these differences, the materials used in the interiors merge perfectly, giving continuity to the various rooms, so that the result is a very fluid space. Inside the house we find once again old stone walls, alternated with white plasterboard wall sections, created to place some lighting and to hide electric cables. The leitmotiv of the whole house is burnished concrete, that can be found on the ground floor and on the external patio's floors, in the kitchen and bathrooms. A new fireplace was added in the living room, and it was covered with a 10mm thick steel plate. In order to give a more rural touch to the new window and door fixtures, the furniture and the majority of wood used on the outside are made of African Teak wood, the same wood that was used for the beams of the original building. On the outside there are some pergolas, made of white painted steel, with a cladding made of canes, to help natural light to seep through. The difference in styles between the original building and the new one is what gives character to the house and the surrounding area.
Elisabetta
www.dettaglihomedecor.com
We were so inspired by such colours, space, and lines and we can't wait to see what Elisabetta has in store for us with her next column.
DD