Sliding transparent partitions and a fold-out bench allow the bathroom within this Madrid apartment to become a communal area for all the family to relax (+ movie).
Local architecture studio Husos renovated the apartment for a woman whose sons who are about to leave home. Having lived in the suburbs for several years, she decided to move back to the city.
Her main requests included a spacious bathroom, a living room where she could watch movies with her family, and space for her large collection of plants.
To fulfil her requirements, Husos came up with the idea of creating a "bathyard" – a bathroom that can transform into a space suitable for other activities.
"The bathyard is a space whose character can be negotiated and altered by the users by sliding transparent partitions and opening out a folding bench," said the architects.
"It is a place where different activities can overlap and be shared, such as trying on clothes, enjoying breakfast, or having a conversation while one is taking a bath and the other is sitting on the folding bench," they added.
Before the renovation, the apartment was a largely dark space – with the exception of one window looking onto an interior patio that served as a corridor and storage area.
To create the bathyard area, the architects removed a series of partition walls – including one that separated the interior patio from the rest of the property.
"The space that generates a new 'exterior' inside the apartment and lends passive thermal and light comfort to the entire home," said the architects.
A small greenhouse is used to separate the bathtub space from a more private area with a shower and toilet.
The greenhouse is surrounded by transparent movable partitions made from sheets of corrugated plastic.
A drip irrigation system automatically waters the different types of ferns, rubber plants, philodendrons and marantas.
It is the only space in the flat where underfloor heating was not installed to prevent drying out the atmosphere. It is instead heated by direct exposure to sunlight through the window.
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Its location between the two humid spaces creates a moist environment for the vegetation.
Throughout the entire bathyard space, walls are painted pale pink and floors are vivid yellow. A circular opening provides a view to the living and dining spaces.
Other properties with interesting bathrooms include a Parisian apartment with a sculptural wooden volume used to house showers, and an Amsterdam hotel room complete with semi-transparent screens designed to resemble the sky at different times of day.
Photographs and movie are by Miguel de Guzmán.
