House X / Agraz Arquitectos

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Text description provided by the architects. A corner lot, therefore an unusual and unique task for the office. Moreover, the lot is adjacent to another house designed by the office, which presents the opportunity to establish a dialogue between both houses.

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Due to the fact that the commission for this house coincides with the tenth anniversary of the office, and opens a new decade, special attention is put on our own concepts and languages. Among these, cars are given a lesser importance, and since this is a corner lot, they are relegated to the smaller façade in a half sunken basement. This way, the main façade suppresses cars from view and the basement is left for the service room and staircase leading to the hall, which is also accessed from the main entry. This central point of access is a recurring theme of our office.

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The plan divides the lot into three areas of similar size. A strip is given up for a garden patio, which dispenses of grass and becomes a hard surface with trees and plants. This area functions as an extension for a second area which contains the living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry room and covered patio. A central axis contains the linear staircases, the first flight of which connects the basement with the ground floor, while the second leads to the top floor. The third area contains the studio, bathroom and main access. The plan can be turned into a single space with retractable windows that incorporate the patio into the central space of the living room, dining room and kitchen. The top floor is divided into two bedrooms with a bathroom and closet, and a main bedroom that takes over a larger surface with a bathroom and closet on the corner, and a view towards the large window.

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In itself it is a basic plan with a simple yet not simplistic scheme, which yields a house with a strong image. A combination of white surfaces on great exposed concrete volumes, marble surfaces and metallic lattices designed with larger openings in the areas of higher visibility and smaller openings in the areas of higher privacy. Conscious of its role in the city, House X is the hinge that articulates the entire block, offering facades on both sides.