house for a family of felines and canines
afab

The project is driven by the aim to revert the plot to its natural landscape state. However, this intention is denied by the urban zoning process, which alters the land from its original mountain or valley form into a series of parcels defined by parameters that disconnect it from its natural essence, including biodiversity, drainage capacity, and resilience.

afab conducted a study of the native fauna and flora in the surroundings. The latter is abundant in aromatic plants, well-suited to the climate of Baeza. These plants require minimal maintenance and help minimise environmental impact. The aim of this initial study was to restore the diverse landscape biodiversity of the site after construction, moving away from a tabula rasa approach towards an environmental restoration process.

Another important aspect was to address a complex housing program for Alex and Lurdes within a limited budget, accommodating not only them but also their non-human inhabitants. These include six dogs (Chica, Alex, Bruno, Rufo, Bimba, and Lisa), six cats (Odin, Audri, Lenin, Bety, Catherin, and Greta), and a Roomba.

At a certain point in the project, an exciting discovery was made: Alex shared habits and preferences for elevated and secluded spaces similar to the house's felines, while Lurdes, akin to the canine residents, preferred the fluid and lively garden space.

As a result of this discovery, afab designed the house with an open and dynamic ground floor tailored for the canine occupants, offering various configurations. For the felines, access to a series of interconnected and isolated rooftops was designed, creating serene contemplative spaces with varying degrees of isolation or connection.

Special attention has been devoted to integrating the non-human inhabitants into the design by creating spaces tailored to their capacities and needs. The layout of these spaces is carefully planned with specific access openings for cats and dogs: the dog access is positioned at ground level, while the cat access is elevated to nearly the height of the roof. These openings are designed to accommodate their respective sizes and are integrated into the furniture within each space.

Furthermore, it promotes an affects visual connection between these humans and their non-human counterparts through a double-opening door that allows for various configurations, reminiscent of the vernacular architecture of the region.

Finally, the distribution of the house was planned taking into account the movements of the Roomba, a technological entity that also inhabits the house and plays a crucial role in constantly keeping the hair and dust cleaned.

A project by afab
Location Baeza, ES
Year 2023
Photography
 © photo courtesy of afab

PUZZLE GREENHOUSE On Loop Turó Blau Greenhouse for plants and humans casa flix El Priorato Showroom in via dei Giardini Casa Ricardo

a project powered by Itinerant Office

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