Having a green courtyard and a timber roof with climbing plants in the heart of Barcelona’s Gràcia neighbourhood is, in itself, a privilege. If, in addition, these features improve the home’s thermal performance and natural light, the result is exceptional.

The house in Gràcia is a terraced home located in Barcelona’s bohemian district. It is a neighbourhood of winding pedestrian streets and charming small houses with courtyards that originally belonged to a small town that was absorbed by the city.

To revive this small-scale neighbourhood spirit, the city council introduced a maximum-height regulation 20 years ago. As a result, this house is part of a new wave of single-family homes that are repopulating the area and making their way among speculative, high-rise developments of limited architectural quality built during the 1970s.

The main challenge of this home is to capture light while maintaining privacy. Divided into two bands—one narrower and more opaque, containing the staircase, bathrooms and kitchen, and the other wider and more transparent, containing the living areas—the house becomes more private and more opaque as it rises.

Accordingly, the ground floor houses the architecture studio, with full transparency towards the interior planted courtyard. The first floor contains the living-dining areas and kitchen, with windows facing the street and neighbouring buildings. And the top floor contains the bedrooms, protected from prying eyes while receiving light through operable roof skylights.

As it does not have adequate solar gain, the energy strategy is based on high levels of insulation, which allow the heat generated by the aerothermal underfloor radiant heating to be stored—sufficient in a temperate climate such as Barcelona’s. In summer, cross-ventilation through the courtyard creates enough airflow to minimise the use of air conditioning.

In truth, if there is one thing we would highlight about this home, it is the quality of the indoor environment. The temperature is always just right—cool with natural ventilation in summer and warm in winter—along with lighting, double-height spaces that connect different areas, varying levels of privacy, and a connection to the outdoors.

Photographs: Salva López