refurbishment

In 1971, the then-owners of a row-end single-family home located in one of the historical neighborhoods of Madrid incorporated into it one of the iconic objects of the imagery of developmental Spain: the blue pool. For their private use, they decided to build a pool, sacrificing nearly all of the twenty-eight square meters that made up the backyard of their home, which until then had been a place for children’s revelry and a respite from domestic tasks. It is possible that the decision was made simply in response to changing circumstances: with the children grown and the housekeeper working outside the home, the yard fell into disuse; or perhaps, it was the pool, as a fantasy imported from postcards of sun and tourism, that managed to carve out a place as a desire among other domestic needs.

In 1971, the then-owners of a row-end single-family home located in one of the historical neighborhoods of Madrid incorporated into it one of the iconic objects of the imagery of developmental Spain: the blue pool. For their private use, they decided to build a pool, sacrificing nearly all of the twenty-eight square meters that made up the backyard of their home, which until then had been a place for children’s revelry and a respite from domestic tasks. It is possible that the decision was made simply in response to changing circumstances: with the children grown and the housekeeper working outside the home, the yard fell into disuse; or perhaps, it was the pool, as a fantasy imported from postcards of sun and tourism, that managed to carve out a place as a desire among other domestic needs.

West of Lake Roxen, just outside Linköping, stands the ruin of Stjärnorp Castle, originally built between 1654 and 1662, most likely designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder. The estate comprised a four-storey stone main building with a stair tower facing the park to the west, and two wings facing Lake Roxen to the east. The castle is depicted in Erik Dahlbergh’s Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna from 1697.

The project is conceived as a reflection on the transformation of a prefabricated wooden house, built more than two decades ago, whose original condition of temporary occupation evolves into a model of permanent living. This transition implies not only a functional update but a comprehensive reinterpretation of its spatial, constructive, and environmental logics, in accordance with new forms of contemporary living.

Dali in Nanhai District, a former industrial town in the Pearl River Delta, is transforming into a livable urban environment by unlocking public spaces within its dense fabric. Located along the Huadi River, this project revitalizes the derelict Yongping Warehouses. Once a vital node for regional river trade, these structures occupy the city’s most valuable waterfront.

A House is a renovation of a wooden house that had become an unauthorised structure due to r repeated extensions and alterations since it was constructed 100 years ago. The processes to bring this house back into compliance with the current building regulations and reapply for planning permission involved 1) removing the unauthorised extensions, 2) constructing a new foundation inside the existing structure for seismic reinforcement, and 3) applying fire-resistant wall cladding. The renovation of A House can be used as a case study to explore the possibilities for other wooden structures with similar conditions.