Spanish studio PYO Arquitectos has removed some of the internal walls in a Madrid flat to make it less segregated and bring in more light (+ slideshow).
The architects simplified the layout of the 80-square-metre residence, called Casa MA, aiming to create a better connection between the main entrance and the kitchen at the back.
"Before the renovation, the apartment had a dark entrance and dark corridor giving access to a sequence of small rooms," explained studio co-founder Ophélie Herranz Lespagnol.
"The main objective of the project was to provide natural light to the entrance hall and the corridor, and to bring the kitchen closer to the living room."
The client wanted to combine the living and dining rooms. To achieve this, PYO Arquitectos removed the wall that separated the entrance hall from the rest of the apartment, then relocated the kitchen to bring it slightly closer.
"The kitchen becomes a space of a social character linked to the entrance of the house, extending its use beyond the mere act of cooking and eating," Lespagnol told Dezeen.
"The project promotes a domestic space of relationship while visually and programmatically linking the hall and the kitchen."
Two walls at the back of the apartment are replaced with another that juts out at 45 degrees, shortening the length of the corridor. This angled wall separates the kitchen from the bedroom behind.
The master bedroom, bathroom and toilet are arranged in a row between the kitchen and the living spaces. Windows above each of the doors brings extra daylight into these spaces.
The architects chose simple, low-cost materials, but have used flashes of colour to highlight details.
White-painted walls and diagonal wooden flooring feature in the living area, while the kitchen and bathrooms are lined with white ceramic tiles, with different colours of grout for each space.
Black rubber covers the floor of the kitchen and bathrooms. There are also several custom-made pieces of plywood furniture, including a dining table and a storage unit.
PYO Arquitectos was founded by French architects Ophélie Herranz Lespagnol and Paul Galindo Pastre, who met while studying at the Lycée Français de Madrid. Their projects also include the conversion of a Spanish stable block and farmhouse into a holiday home.
The reconfiguration of Casa MA is similar to other apartment renovations in Spain that make the most out of a small amount of space. Examples include Anna and Eugeni Bach Barcelona apartment that features a desk hanging from the ceiling and the integration of furnishings into the walls of a Madrid apartment by Elii Architects.
Photography is by Miguel de Guzmán.
Project credits:
Architects: PYO Arquitectos
Project team: Paul Galindo Pastre, Ophélie Herranz Lespagnol, Natalia Vera Vigaray and Lian Blok
