Playing off the Moorish ancestry of the original house, the NY/Madrid architectural office MOREMAS was inspired by the Alhambra in its treatment of surfaces, textures, sequences of rooms, and the interplay of light and shadow when renovating the interiors of this amazing Spanish house with HI-MACS® Solid Surface.
The existing house was re-organized around a new central circulation core. More than just a hallway, it was conceived as a communal space that serves as an antechamber for adjacent rooms where informal meetings can occur.
This space begins at the entry at ground level and extends up three floors to the antechamber of the master bedroom. The common element uniting the circulation space is a continuous perimeter of a HI-MACS® “skin”- a wall covering with various degrees of perforations that create a textured surface - replicating the traditional Moorish patterns, the historical background of the structure. The “HI-MACS® Skin” continues past windows and doors varying in opacity or density as the function demands.
All the principal rooms of the house are connected by the central space. Sunlight from a functioning skylight illuminates the stairs while diffused natural light filters through the perforated HI-MACS® surfaces. The house is ventilated by a stack effect when the skylight and doors at garden level are opened, connecting the humid microclimate of the exterior garden and pool area and the warmer upper floors. The perforated window shutters control the amount of ventilation while providing sun protection.
The architects chose HI-MACS® Arctic White for its treated surfaces, because of the product´s strength and translucent properties, to create a breathtaking sunlight backlit structure. The HI-MACS® window shutters, doors, walls, and infill for perforations maximize the play of light and shadows while maintaining the privacy of inhabitants at the same time.
A special computer programme generated the hexagonal patterns unique to the functional needs throughout the house. The computer programme facilitated different studies to determine the permeability of the surfaces while providing the digital information needed by the fabricator´s CNC machine for production.
The result is a reinterpretation of traditional Islamic architectural motifs using new technologies and new generation materials.
Project: Private House
Location: Spain
Design: MOREMAS– Madrid, Spain
Fabricator: Realinox- Madrid, España
Material: HI-MACS® Arctic White
