To convert the first-floor warehouse into an extension of the existing home, creating the necessary conditions for non-obligatory social interaction so that one of the children and their partner can live there and choose, at any given moment, the kind of relationship they wish to maintain with the parents.
Creating good living conditions within a built envelope that has no street-facing façade is one of the main challenges of the proposal. Additionally, the low budget, the need to install an elevator so the elderly residents of the existing home can reach the street, and the demand for energy efficiency are other key challenges.
Inspired by agrarian culture, the project values solutions where each design action addresses more than one need.
Program / Energy
The intervention consists of dividing the warehouse into two bays: the intermediate space (or multipurpose room) and the habitable core (or thermal envelope). Economic efficiency is another argument in favor of this two-bay division. One bay requires significantly higher investment due to its high thermal performance, while the other is kept at lower cost by retaining many of the existing materials and insulating only the roof to prevent overheating in summer.
Accessibility / Structure
The placement of the elevator is the only new structural element introduced to reinforce the existing structure. The elevator shaft is positioned like a column to provide an intermediate support for the beam, at just the right distance to maintain a very open ground floor. By shortening the beam’s span, it is able to support the required load.
Multipurpose Room / Solar-Gain Space
In the first bay, a space is proposed to serve as a transition between the existing living core (parents and grandparents) and the proposed new living core (the son and his partner). This area functions as a buffer zone, offering support and flexible expansion over time. It hosts more shared activities, such as the dual-access shared laundry, vertical circulation via the new elevator, and a shared pantry. In the future, its uses may shift according to evolving programmatic needs, adapting to changing requirements.
On the south-facing slope of this bay, the main solar gain entry is located to ensure good passive heating of the dwelling. This solar input is achieved through the greenhouse effect of the large glazed gallery positioned just below the ridge beam. The courtyard’s location provides shade in the summer and allows solar gain in the winter months.
Dwelling / Thermal Envelope
The second bay contains the climate-controlled spaces of this new living core. By inserting two “wooden boxes,” the space is subdivided into three rooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchen-dining area directly connected to the multipurpose space.
The two boxes are built using a lightweight prefabricated system made of wood panels and framing. This ensures high precision in finishes and minimizes the environmental impact of the materials used in this part of the proposal.
A high-performance thermal envelope has been prioritized, with 20 cm of roof insulation and 7 cm on the façade. The insulation material used is cellulose (shredded newspaper) blown into the air cavities.
