MA House

The project is located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, within a consolidated residential area characterized by low-density multifamily buildings and typological diversity. The flat, rectangular 525m² plot contains an existing building with a ground floor and two upper floors above a basement. The intervention adds a symmetrical volume separated by a central staircase, completing the block with three new dwellings that optimize south-north orientation to maximize cross ventilation, natural lighting, and visual connections through terraces

The project addresses the challenge of completing a building started in 2006 without exceeding buildability limits and respecting the heterogeneous urban context. The symmetrical volumetric strategy employs a central communication core that functionally separates day and night zones. The dual south-north orientation promotes cross ventilation and natural lighting, enhancing indoor comfort. Terraces compensate for surface limitations, creating exterior spaces visually and functionally linked to the interior. This solution integrates into the residential fabric, prioritizing energy efficiency, sustainability, and user functionality.

Construction is based on a double-skin system: the inner box, formed by prefabricated cross-laminated timber panels, provides structural support and high-efficiency thermal-acoustic insulation. The outer skin, composed of a steel tubular structure, glass, and louvers, forms a permeable façade that modulates solar radiation and allows natural ventilation. The existing building measures 6 x 17 m, with a 2 m-wide lateral staircase separating the new symmetrical volume. Buildability regulations limit total volume, so front and rear terraces complete the footprint to equalize both volumes. The dry construction system facilitates quick assembly, sustainability, and efficient maintenance.