The renovation of this house has completely transformed both its interior and garden. While the former was clearly remodelled to suit the needs of the new owners, the work on the exterior was much more subtle. The challenge was to update the space while respecting its original layout and existing vegetation as much as possible.
That was the starting point for the team at Verveine, a Barcelona-based landscape architecture studio founded by Lina Seguró Mendlewicz. Calderon-Folch Studio designed the architecture and Nuria Navarro was responsible for the interior design. All three teams worked together from the beginning with the same goal: to create an elegant, comfortable home perfectly suited to a new way of living.
Both the house and garden renovations have achieved a perfect balance between historical character and modern comfort. This is no surprise, as it is a Noucentista-style villa – a cultural and aesthetic movement that emerged in Catalonia at the beginning of the 20th century and is characterised by clean lines, orderly compositions and a carefully considered connection with the surrounding gardens.
The result is a villa that has preserved and enhanced the original architecture throughout, offering understated luxury that can be felt in every corner. Furthermore, sustainability was a key focus during the renovation process, with Passivhaus standards implemented to significantly reduce energy consumption.
Inside, this was achieved by incorporating strategies that reduce energy demand for heating and cooling, along with bioconstruction techniques based on the use of recycled and natural materials. In the garden, this was accomplished through efficient water management systems and a careful selection of low-water-consumption plant species.
The Verveine Landscape Architecture team started with a clear premise: to preserve the spirit of the historic Noucentista garden by respecting its essence and making the intervention barely perceptible. ‘The goal was that, once the garden was finished, it would seem as if no one had touched it, and that upon entering the new space, one would experience an immediate immersion in nature ,’ says Lina Seguró.
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The complex original topography and the proximity of the Serra de Collserola mountain range shaped the project’s development. The work required particularly delicate attention to preserve the existing vegetation despite the significant earthworks involved, and to reinforce the feeling of a garden that has evolved naturally over time.
The project also incorporated sustainability criteria, such as more efficient water management, which resulted, among other solutions, in a reservoir-style swimming pool. Vegetation adapted to the Mediterranean climate, with high ecological and landscape value, was chosen. The result demonstrates that beauty, functionality and respect for the environment can coexist in perfect harmony.
Privacy was another key objective. ‘The typology and characteristics of the urban fabric of the site required protecting the interior spaces of the garden, avoiding direct visual exposure. To achieve this, we worked with a strategic arrangement of the vegetation and controlled visual paths that guarantee privacy without sacrificing light or openness,’ says Verveine Landscape Architecture.
The design prioritises stone, water and vegetation, creating smooth transitions between the different areas of the garden and establishing a timeless aesthetic in constant dialogue with the natural surroundings of this green lung of Barcelona. The result is a haven of calm and connection with nature in the heart of the urban environment.
This is how this multipurpose, functional, welcoming and low-maintenance space was created, lacking nothing: a dining area, a swimming pool, a reading area… Even the existing structures were preserved and highlighted: an old garage converted into a workshop and a 19th-century tool shed. According to Lina Seguró, ‘a sustainable, vibrant and transformative garden has been achieved. One that is discreet and profoundly natural, which does not seek to impose itself, but rather to belong to the place as if it had always been there.’
The renovation not only improved the villa’s energy efficiency but also adapted its spaces to the needs of its new inhabitants. The abundance of natural light throughout and the close visual connection between the interior and the garden are particularly striking, as is the colour palette, with its abundance of whites, sands, beiges and light woods.
The entrance hall houses the staircase connecting the two floors. To the right is the formal dining room, separated by a glass door that allows natural light from the garden to reach every corner. The room is furnished with a six-seater table, piano, ample bookcases and a striking pendant lamp.
To the left of the entrance hall, two connected but separate spaces house the kitchen – complete with another large dining area – and the living room, both with direct access to the garden. The ceramic tile flooring and vaulted ceilings define the character of this space, as does the minimalist style chosen, which dispenses with superfluous decorative elements. The upper floor, meanwhile, houses the sleeping area, with inviting bedrooms that connect directly to the outdoors through their large windows, including a balcony.
Beyond the architectural and landscape restoration, the project recovers the original identity of this Noucentista villa and adapts it to contemporary living. This intervention offers a perfect balance between historical elegance and modern comfort, demonstrating that heritage, sustainability and contemporary design can coexist seamlessly.
