This project involves the renovation of an apartment in Barcelona. The renovation is approached FROM A RADICALLY HEALTHY PERSPECTIVE, using only natural, toxin-free materials and products.

The owners of this home approached our studio because they needed to undertake a large-scale, comprehensive renovation to resolve two complex issues. The first was the need for a new layout to gain an additional room and meet the needs of their children, who are now teenagers.

The second is that one family member has developed an environmental illness called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), which affects sufferers in various ways, incapacitating the person in the presence of chemicals or toxins in the indoor environment.

The new layout: untreated pine wood partitions and eco-clay

The new layout is achieved using cross-laminated timber partitions with untreated natural pine studs. These are insulated with recycled cotton fiber, free of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), sourced from post-consumer textiles formed into high-density panels inserted between the wooden studs of the partitions.

The use of this type of cross-laminated panel in the home of a person with MCS is delicate. Firstly, because some MCS sufferers are sensitive to the wood’s natural polymer, lignin. Secondly, because the panels are joined together in the cross-lamination process with chemical glues. For this reason, the cross-laminated panel is left exposed in the client’s room for a few days to ensure it does not cause any reaction.

The intervention also considers the existing walls. These are the party walls with neighbors, which are covered with an eco-clay render and painted with natural casein paint, a mixture that contributes to the hygroscopicity of the surface, helping to regulate ambient humidity when necessary.

Natural casein paint is especially recommended for MCS sufferers as it is composed solely of marble powder and milk protein.

Finally, the false ceilings are constructed with a solid pine structure, beneath which gypsum fiber and cellulose panels made from recycled paper are installed, without any additives or adhesives.

Healthy Home, Healthy Heating

Healthy heating should not dry out the environment, ensuring good indoor air quality. To achieve this, we installed an aerothermal system connected to an underfloor radiant heating system, which provides comfort at low temperatures, consumes very little energy, and maintains ambient humidity. This eliminates the existing radiator circuit, which operates by convection and generates air and dust circulation, so harmful to the respiratory tract.

Efficient, Flicker-Free Lighting

Although it does not directly affect MCS sufferers, lighting does impact well-being, as well as the home’s efficiency and consumption.

The main luminaire used in living areas and bedrooms is an LED bulb certified by the International Energy Agency, with an average lifespan of 70 years and designed without planned obsolescence.

It has an energy consumption of only 6W and a luminous flux of 650 lumens.

From a health perspective, this luminaire is designed to emit minimal radiation and is flicker-free, in addition to containing no mercury or heavy metals, which are dangerous in case of breakage.

It is a repairable bulb sold with a 10-year warranty.

In wet areas and the kitchen, bulbs from the same supplier are used, but recessed models are chosen, which differ from the others in having a slightly shorter lifespan.

Electrical Installation Free of Electromagnetic Fields

To minimize the electric fields generated by the electrical installation that can disturb occupants, especially in resting areas such as bed heads or living areas, the electrical installation is designed in a star configuration, so that each line always originates from the service entrance.

Furthermore, earthing connections are secured and reinforced to ensure correct electrostatic discharge, and braided cable is used throughout the installation. This type of cable reduces alternating magnetic fields by braiding the neutral and live wires.

The installation design avoids running electrical wiring in walls where sofas or bed heads are located, and the family is advised to check that all appliances have an earth connection and that those in bedrooms, such as computers, are disconnected at night.

Photographs: Salva López