Apartment Renovation In Girona

Apartment Renovation In Girona
© Pol Viladoms

APARTMENT RENOVATION IN GIRONA

Hiha Studio

ARCHITECTS
Hiha Studio

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Bernat Ardevol Ribalta, Jonatan Oliva Flaque, Genis Plassa Domingo

CONSTRUCTION
Giropractic Instalꞏlacions S.L.

PHOTOGRAPHS
Pol Viladoms

AREA
1399 ft²

YEAR
2020

LOCATION
Girona, Spain

CATEGORY
Apartments, Renovation

The project consists of the conversion of the ground floor of an old warehouse into an apartment. The existing warehouse was divided into 3 structural bays, parallel to the façade, and a large courtyard at the back. 

Apartment Renovation In Girona
© Pol Viladoms
Apartment Renovation In Girona
© Pol Viladoms

The strategy for the project consisted of maintaining these 3 structural bays, which helped to organize the new proposal and to distribute the new program within apartment.

One of these structural bays is used for the living room, dining room and main bedroom, with these spaces connected to the outdoor garden in order to obtain maximum privacy and the best solar orientation.

Apartment Renovation In Girona
© Pol Viladoms
Apartment Renovation In Girona
© Pol Viladoms

The kitchen is placed in the central bay. This position and its transparent design allows the kitchen to be a distribution element, avoiding corridors and generating different visuals and relationships between the rooms.

The third bay is use to create rooms for sporadic uses, and provides access from the street. Elements in within this space are used as an acoustic and visual filter between the street and the most private part of the apartment.

A further strategy of the project is the preservation of the relationship of the 3 structural bays once the space is fragmented with the new distribution.

Apartment Renovation In Girona
© Pol Viladoms
Apartment Renovation In Girona
© Pol Viladoms
Apartment Renovation In Girona
© Pol Viladoms

To maintain the relationship of the 3 volumes, whilst enhancing them, a curved form is used. Using the arch form generates rhythms and spatial continuities, allowing the space to take advantage of the maximum height of the ground floor and obtain different sensations within the apartment.

Unfinished ceramic elements are used as the main material in the upper parts of the walls. These pieces generate stripes of colour that provide warmth and plasticity to the apartment, whilst also creating spatial continuity and emphasizing the geometry of the arches.

The utilization of the arch form and the ceramic material elements generates fluctuating spaces, and at the same time gives continuity and spatial solidity.

Apartment Renovation In Girona
© Pol Viladoms
Apartment Renovation In Girona
© Pol Viladoms
Apartment Renovation In Girona
© Pol Viladoms

The ceramic strip provides the domestic height that is required, while simultaneously enhancing the height obtained by the arch.

On the facades anti-intrusion galvanized steel elements and perforated sheet metal shutters for solar protection have been introduced.

Hiha Studio with the collaboration of the young artist Kushim Mattson, has created a new series of transparent furniture. These pieces of domestic furniture adapt to the straight and curved shapes of the apartment.

Apartment Renovation In Girona
© Pol Viladoms
Apartment Renovation In Girona
© Pol Viladoms


Apartment Renovation In Girona
© Pol Viladoms
Apartment Renovation In Girona
© Pol Viladoms
Apartment Renovation In Girona
© Pol Viladoms


Apartment Renovation In Girona
Exploded Axonometric
Apartment Renovation In Girona
Plan


Apartment Renovation In Girona
Section / Elevations