Two mothers, two twin babies and a rabbit: since 2023 this wonderful family lives in this 80-square-metre house in Fuencarral C, one of the Directed Settlements of Madrid that were developed between 1956 and 1966. Steered by Conjuntos Empáticos studio, the rehabilitation project of this row house, originally designed by José Luis Romany, represents a rigorous dialogue between past, present and future.
When they acquired it, the family found a property that, after several changes, had strayed from its initial conception. The courtyard, previously open in a U-shape, was occupied by a makeshift storage room; the lower façade lacked its characteristic arcade, the sliding shutters had been replaced by a large awning and the exposed brick skin was hidden behind a white zip line. So the first step was to recover the original essence.
How? Well, ‘by eliminating volumetric additions and restoring the characteristic exposed brick façade and its latticework. The studio added two structural porticos, one as a communications core and the other as an extension of the main common area.’ This allowed the west façade to be opened up, creating a large window that extends the living room onto the patio so natural light reaches every corner.
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The ground floor layout is designed to optimise the habits of everyday life and incorporates elements that will change over time. The open dining room adjacent to the living room integrates a black kitchen with exposed wood, its clean lines lending an elegant and contemporary feel to the space. The floor, made of cream-coloured mortared ceramic tiles, provides a clear contrast to the orange of the exposed fixtures and structural elements – the studio’s signature shade
The first floor houses a main bedroom and a bathroom next to the Tramex hallway, a metal-framed floor that brings lightness to the space. It is accessed via a structure that houses a metal staircase.
On this same floor, the children’s rooms have loft beds to suit every need: first a crib, then a Montessori bed and finally a raised layout to free up play space. The furniture includes designer pieces such as Grcic’s ‘Mayday’ lamp, Verner Panton’s ‘Flowerpot VP1’ and Noguchi’s ‘Akari’, along with decorative details such as the ‘Eames Birds’, which interact with other solutions from IKEA and Sklum to create a comfortable, almost second-home atmosphere. Everything is in a cheerful green colour, right down to the linoleum floor.
‘This house will host different stages of the family’s life, evolving around their daughters,’ the studio concludes. The open courtyard, the large living room, and the flexibility of each bedroom make the home a place where light, air and domesticity find a way to coexist, adapt, and evolve alongside its inhabitants. conjuntosempaticos.com
