The blocks for the top floor, bearing less load, are made of 100% lime concrete, while the rest of the floors combine lime with cement. These blocks, approximately 135 cm long, 42 cm high, and with variable widths for each floor (64, 54, 44, and 34 cm), were prefabricated once the demolition was completed, before commencing the construction of the new building. This approach significantly reduced the construction duration. The blocks were stacked to build load-bearing walls perpendicular to the street, supporting cross-laminated timber ceilings. On each floor, the walls reduce in thickness by 10 cm, allowing direct support of the timber panels, facilitating the speed of execution of the entire structure.

Perpendicular to the main walls, 13 cm thick partition walls, constructed with the same cyclopean concrete and resulting from cutting a 60 cm wide block into four 13 cm sections, tie the structure of the entire building, together with the stair and elevator core.

The entire spatial and programmatic organization of the building responds to the described structural system; the floor plan is organized with a stair core in the corner, providing access to a walkway in the interior garden, from where each apartment is accessed—all are through apartments except those on the semi-basement floor, which, like those on the attic floor, have half the depth of the typical floors and utilize two structural spans for each apartment. The top-floor apartments have large terraces. Each floor also has a communal area (laundry room, lounges, etc.). The façade starkly displays the structural system: the end walls (vertical) of the prefabricated block walls, which decrease in height on each floor and support the timber (horizontal) ceilings, and, as the façade of each apartment, floor-to-ceiling wooden balconies with a lateral opaque strip and Venetian blinds to protect from the eastern and western sun.

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The presence of two architectural elements on the upper elevation highlights the construction: To the north, a volume in silvered glass houses the garage and the entrance hall of the house. To the south, resting on the angle of the ground floor façade, a white, opaque, low, square box-shaped volume protects and forms a porch area that extends the living space to the exterior.

These two elements, contrasting in terms of geometry and materials, rest on different parts of the garden which fills the entire plot, and reorganise the relationship of the land and its exisiting structures (stone walls, neighbouring buildings) with the landscape.

The absence of a visible construction, enhanced by the reflection of the mirrored body which punctuates the plot’s geometrical centre, contrasts with the generosity of the interior spaces which are discovered as one climbs down, revealing a typologically recognisable house.

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A politically committed and militant project!

The nucleus is resolved by using a wall of compacted earth blocks (CEB). The block is distributed through 3 large units adapted to the program; it generates open spaces for storage or facilities, enclosed spaces with their own program, and passage spaces that interconnect or separate areas. At the same time, in order not to alter the original stone walls, the block concentrates all the installations of the cohousing.

In terms of comfort, this large earth block provides a high hygroscopic property, which compensates the low capacity of existing stone walls to humidity regulation. In addition, it compensates part of the thermal inertia that is lost through the thermal insulation of the existing façades on its interior side.

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A politically committed and militant project!

Today, the unsealed plot and green roof of the pavillon host an incredible diversity of plant, animal and funghi species. A unfiltered, 12 metre long pond, that is over 2 meters deep, connects the wild northern and southern parts of the garden. The roof is covered by another garden, which is slightly less wild, and more focused on food production. In winter, the house itself orients around a large fireplace, which‘s chimneys comically long shape responds to the legal exhaust distances in the dense urban environment. In summer, it opens to the pond and gardens.

The creation of a complex habitat, that enables a species rich environment to thrive, is the main purpose of the design.

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The house is arranged on a single level, organized around relaxation and enjoyment. Social and contemplative spaces were prioritized, such as large rooms open to the landscape and areas with hammocks that invite moments of pause and connection with nature. The goal of Toronjos is clear: to enjoy and preserve the natural landscape.

The commitment to sustainability is evident in every aspect of the project. Local materials and regional labor were used, reducing the carbon footprint and strengthening the site’s identity. The structure combines adobe and wooden beams, which were left exposed to add warmth. The floor was handcrafted with adobe produced on-site, and the walls are finished with an adobe plaster that harmonizes with the surrounding color palette.

Toronjos is, essentially, architecture that doesn’t dominate. It blends seamlessly with the landscape, enhancing it and becoming a natural extension of it. The building doesn’t seek to stand out, but rather to disappear among the vegetation, water, and earth, embodying a way of living in harmony with the environment.

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The first decision was to incorporate the old garage as an internal area of the house. The area previously intended for cars was transformed into the access garden, with various species of plants. The structure of this space is made of garapeira wood, wrapped in corrugated alveolar polycarbonate, fixed with aluminum frame sets, providing a space of multiple sensations.

In this same area is the staircase leading to the bedroom floor. The transition from the social area to the intimate area is made through an intermediate space, with a mix of solid garapeira wood flooring and perforated metal sheet, which allows you to see the garden on the lower floor and the front door, as well as being permeated by natural ventilation.

The bedroom wing is organized by a central wood frame structure that supports the entire technical area of the house, as well as defining the two bathrooms of the smaller bedrooms and the wardrobe of the master bedroom. The bathroom of this master bedroom occupies the roof of the old laundry room, expanding the area of the house. It is fully lit by the double polycarbonate facade.

The annex is an extension of the grassy area. Completely open, it was constructed with more weather-resistant materials, using masonry and exposed reinforced concrete. Its roof is a garden, improving the microclimate of the area and beautifying the view from the bedrooms and the building attached to the back of the house.

Finally, the exterior part of the house and its relationship with the street: the possibility of seeing a city where houses have no walls. Of course, we are aware of the privileged situation of being in a village, but it still allows us to dream of a less individual and imprisoned future.

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We believe that the initial process of composing an architectural project connects and resonates with what Evans proposes. Jazz uses a foundation as a structure to define the boundaries of music; within that framework, instruments take turns improvising or intuitively accommodating themselves to a pre-existing structure. Silences are as important as notes, and rhythm is what organizes the distribution of sounds in time.

In this project, the boundary is given by the perimeter edge of the roof, which defines the scope of the construction. Inside, the solids and voids configure the space and the program of the house in close relation to the natural pre-existing elements.
Natural light defines time in the experience of the work, producing changing shadows and atmospheres, similar to what John Abercrombie does in Timeless. The wind that blows through the space and sweeps the leaves can evoke Philly Joe Jones’ brushes alongside the Miles Davis Quintet.

A Forest in the House proposes an alternative approach to harmonizing the built form with its natural surroundings. Rather than treating existing trees as obstacles, the project embraces them as fundamental guides that shape the spatial program.
The trees delineate the relationship between occupied spaces and voids, freeing the structure from conventional grid systems and establishing a dynamic rhythm that reflects the patterns of nature. This non-orthogonal disposition of the pillars contributes to the structure’s lateral stability. The solid volumes are constructed using compressed earth blocks (CEBs), reinforcing the project’s commitment to a material dialogue with the landscape.

Vertical structural elements are carefully arranged among the trees. By aligning themselves so as not to interfere with the roots, they recede visually and integrate into the background, blending with the natural logic of the surrounding trunks. This conscious integration generates a dialogue in which artifice and nature speak the same language.


The spatial composition unfolds across two distinct horizontal planes. The primary plane, the floor, rises subtly, allowing tree roots to evolve freely over time. In parallel, the secondary plane, the ceiling, replicates this geometry to form a terrace that invites occupants to enjoy panoramic views of the treetops.

Ultimately, the project imagines a future in which the boundaries between architecture and nature dissolve: a future in which the built environment is as organic as its natural context. This vision not only proposes a different spatial solution, but also offers a reminder of the potential for coexistence and balance. Thus, in unison, all the elements of the house compose a big band that, depending on the season or time of day, plays the music that best accompanies the experience.

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Most of these industrial spaces are located on the ground floors of residential buildings, extending beyond the building’s footprint into interior courtyards. In a cityscape now dominated by residential and commercial uses, these large-volume spaces are no longer needed. Urban planning policies prioritize reclaiming these courtyards, often through the demolition of industrial structures, supported by zoning changes that convert industrial properties into residential use. The most drastic transformation involves limiting the depth of new construction, making residential redevelopment of these industrial buildings unfeasible unless they are partially demolished. The financial incentive for these changes lies in the real estate market, where land values can triple or quadruple when converted into residential properties—largely driven by Madrid’s inflated rental market.

The key to preserving these spaces lies in hybrid uses. These industrial buildings cannot be understood rigidly; they require a more fluid approach to occupancy that takes advantage of their spatial qualities while balancing the costs of adaptation. Elements for Industrial Recovery explores urban and architectural tools to retain these structures in a context that otherwise incentivizes their disappearance.
CNM was originally a storage space characterized by a large, continuous pitched roof and nearly opaque lateral walls. The redesign opens this space up, reflecting the vision of its new owner—an artist whose work explores perceptual distortion through technology and digital media. Based on that, the project creates a distorted spatial experience using layered materials, shifting transparencies that transform into reflections, and interior spaces that seem to dissolve into exteriors.

The design materializes in a monumental outer wall composed of a large colonnade with a textured plaster finish. Regularly spaced openings combine fixed glass panels with overlapping sliding doors, creating a seamless interplay of transparency and reflection. The roof’s continuity is preserved as a defining element, visible from any point in the space and strategically perforated to bring natural light into key areas. The interplay between the uninterrupted roofline and the grand colonnade generates a series of overlapping spaces where interior and exterior boundaries blur, creating a dynamic depth of field.

Two distinct material volumes provide intentional contrast and serve as spatial anchors, marking the beginning and end of the journey through the space. The first is a bold yellow volume near the entrance, containing restrooms, storage, and mechanical systems. The second is a wooden structure at the far end of the building, housing additional functional elements and concluding the interior narrative.
The furnishing strategy reinforces the theme of spatial indeterminacy through a collection of movable objects. These pieces are designed to flow between zones, enabling different uses to migrate across the space. Each object is proportioned to pass through the arches, facilitating movement and interaction between areas.

By embracing flexibility, preserving architectural heritage, and integrating hybrid functions, CNM offers a forward-thinking model for the adaptive reuse of industrial spaces in a rapidly evolving urban context.

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