AROUND A BIOCLIMATIC ATRIUM
House in the Garraf Massif
THE ROOMS IN THIS PASSIVE HOUSE ARE ORGANISED AROUND A BIOCLIMATIC ATRIUM, A DOUBLE-HEIGHT CENTRAL SPACE THAT ACCUMULATES HEAT THANKS TO A SOUTH-FACING OPENING AT THE TOP, HELPING TO TEMPER THE ROOMS ON THE NORTH SIDE AND CREATE CROSS-VENTILATION.
This home is based on a streamlined 90 m2 programme. To optimise the climatic performance of a limited footprint, we chose a compact, square floor plan, which has the advantage of preventing heat loss through the façades, but the drawback of not allowing direct southern sunlight into the rear rooms.
For this reason, a central space is proposed to capture light and heat, conceived as a covered atrium with south-facing openings at the top, rising above the roofline.
In this way, the atrium creates a second solar-collecting façade and stores warm air that we use to our advantage for ventilating the house.
This creates a central space with stratified air (warm air rises) that, at its upper level, acts as a solar collector and offers a flexible programme, and can be used as an additional living room, dining area, or simply an open space providing access to the night-time areas.
In addition, the clients specifically requested north-facing views, and to achieve this the atrium includes a small mezzanine accessed via a library-style ladder that can be moved along the atrium or stored away when not needed.
The construction system is based on a double wall: an inner gero block wall and an outer exposed brick wall, with insulation between them. In the access area, the exposed brick wall forms a semi-open lattice that highlights the entrance to the home. Solar protection for the openings is provided by external textile blinds.
To produce hot water and heating on cold winter days, we use a biomass boiler with pellets that feeds a conventional radiator system.
Air renewal in this home is carried out through the central atrium via air inlets that introduce air from the highest point of the gallery, with extraction located in the wet areas of the bathrooms and kitchen.
ABOUT THE MODELS APPEARING IN THE IMAGES
We always try to include people in the images of our projects to bring them to life and to convey, as clearly as possible, our understanding of architecture as the creation of spaces that adapt to their surroundings and to the people who live in them.
In this case, to protect our clients’ privacy, it was decided to carry out the shoot with the participation of models.
However, rather than hiring professional models, we felt this budget could be directed to people in vulnerable situations with a story worth telling—whether for their courage, resilience, or determination. We looked for families who could be an example to follow, with stories that awaken compassion, empathy, or solidarity: the feelings that help build a better world.
For this shoot, we had the privilege of receiving help from a family of Ukrainian refugees, who collaborated with tremendous enthusiasm and professionalism. We shared an afternoon of laughter—several of them spoke only Ukrainian—emotions—we were able to talk with them about their current situation and future prospects—and complicity—playing with the youngest member of the family, who was a real whirlwind.
ANNA, STEFAN, ROMAN AND VALENTYNA
Anna, her son Roman, and her mother, Valentyna, are a family originally from the city of Irpin, Ukraine, a town on the outskirts of Kyiv that became, in early 2022, a strategic point for halting the advance of military troops towards the capital during the Russian invasion.
Roman’s father and Anna’s husband, Stefan, is a cameraman and regularly collaborates with Spanish journalists, who offered to help shelter his family after the outbreak of the war.
His colleagues found a host family in Granollers, who welcomed Anna, Roman, and Valentyna and took care of securing food, clothing, and money to get through the first months in Spain.
Stephan stayed in Ukraine, where he produces reports on the progress of the war.
After the first days of uncertainty, Anna, who is an aesthetician by profession, has gradually been finding clients through friends and acquaintances, while studying English and Spanish.
Roman, five years old, has had the most difficult adjustment, starting at a school mid-year without knowing the language and being unable to communicate with either classmates or teachers. The child’s anxiety—far from his home and his father, in a completely unfamiliar environment where he cannot communicate—has become the hardest part of the process for the family.
Even so, they feel fortunate to have been able to flee the war and grateful for the help they have received. After just a few weeks in Spain, Anna tattooed the word Thank you on her wrist to always remember the family and community that welcomed her, while continuing to think every day about returning home and rebuilding her life.
If you would like to help Ukrainian refugee families, it is advisable to donate to professional organisations with experience in conflicts and humanitarian aid.
We have chosen UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, which works to help families who have not been able to flee the war by expanding access to safe drinking water, providing hygiene, health and emergency supplies, and offering psychological support to children in Ukraine.
Photography: Carla Step
CONNECTING SPACES ACROSS SIGNIFICANT ELEVATION CHANGES
MÁS SOBRE House in Fontpineda