Ca La Carolina

TR

Designed by Lacol, the project aims to rehabilitate Grandmother Carolina's old house in Rabós (Alt Empordà), which had been closed for a period, to prevent its gradual deterioration and make it available for the family's enjoyment, both for short and long stays.

It is a simple construction in the old town, dated from the 18th century, consisting of a main body with two levels: the upper floor contains the living space with access from the street, while the lower semi-basement is used for animals and storage related to farming activities, along with the courtyard, both with access from a passage. The original construction is made of stone, with small openings, and the main elements are mainly linked to the street-facing facade, oriented to the north. The house had been previously renovated, improving the roof and adding a volume expansion that created an attic, as well as adding a new section to the courtyard with a room, and updating the services and installations of the house. The new intervention establishes a dialogue with this previous work, repeating the roof gesture, maintaining continuity in the construction systems, and also recovering the characteristic pink color of the facade.

The objectives set for the renovation are to improve the climate control of the house, seeking comfort throughout the year, and to reverse the house's layout by linking the kitchen-living-dining area to the south-facing facade, opening it up to the views and exterior spaces, which are also adapted and connected to the house. Programmatically, the proposal includes an autonomous main floor with the minimum residential program, with the possibility to expand or contract according to needs. The attic floor includes a bedroom with a new bathroom and a flexible space resulting from the volume expansion, opening to the south. The bedrooms, bathrooms, and storage and circulation spaces are placed as a climate buffer on the north facade. A new skylight cuts into the slab's vaults to bring natural light and solar gain to the central space of the house: the dining table of Ca la Carolina.

The passive and active environmental strategies are:
• Maximize the use of the existing solid and massive construction inertia of stone and ceramic by leaving the stone and ceramic exposed. Despite the different textures and materials, a traditional white plaster finish is used to unify and enhance brightness.
• Increase solar capture with new openings to the south, while maintaining the reduced openings on the north and east facades, where the joinery is improved.
• Ensure cross-ventilation in all rooms.
• Include solar protection for the summer, with traditional “Alicante” blinds, shutters, and a plant pergola.
• Increase insulation throughout the envelope using wood fiber insulation.
• Equip the house with a pellet stove for the colder winter days.

To reduce the environmental impact of materials, the following steps are taken:
• Maintain and enhance the characteristics of the pre-existing construction, with its various layers and interventions.
• Reduce demolition and reuse all possible elements (concrete beams, stone, tiles).
• Use low environmental impact materials (wood fiber insulation on facades and roof, wooden windows) and/or locally sourced materials (Bisbal ceramics for flooring, traditional glazed ceramic tiles for both interior and exterior).
• Promote the local economy and reduce transportation by choosing systems that can be carried out by local workers, valuing their knowledge and techniques.

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