Floor-to-ceiling, simply beautiful, double-leaf wooden windows allow light and warmth to fall on the seamless floor and also provide the necessary retreat in this urban context. Plants, hammocks, and furniture enliven the veranda architecture and lend the design lightness, homeliness, and comfort. Wooden separating elements between the verandas ensure privacy between the individual residential units. Outdoor curtains, with their fabric texture, give the private outdoor spaces a high recreational and residential value.

The heart of the outdoor space is formed by the two greenhouses with a well and sandbox. A large meadow stretches out next to them. Lushly planted flowerbeds punctually complete the overall picture. Along Wiesenstrasse, the street-typical planting is continued with a row of trees.

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The polygonal-shaped site is located on a small, highly exposed promontory, a condition that defines both the character of the place and the starting point for the project.

With the aim of achieving the smallest possible built volume, two distinct areas were created: the swimming pool and its surrounding deck at the natural ground level, and the changing facilities on a lower level, covered by the pool deck itself.

The pool is positioned in the central area of the site, at the northern corner of the enclosure, halfway down the existing slope. This location minimizes earthworks—particularly important due to the site’s proximity to the Petouzal Hillfort archaeological area—and allows for maximum integration into the immediate surroundings.

The project seeks a solid, simple, and robust construction, with minimal—or virtually no—maintenance requirements, capable of fulfilling its function sustainably, without discrimination in use, and fully accessible between the two designed levels directly from the surrounding outdoor spaces.

The structure is entirely built in reinforced concrete, using exposed waterproof concrete block walls for both enclosures and internal partitions. These materials offer excellent resistance to the passage of time, intensive use, and adverse environmental conditions, eliminating the need for additional finishes on exterior walls, interior surfaces, and ceilings. The building is covered but not completely enclosed, with no thermal envelope, since its use is exclusively seasonal during the summer months. Consequently, it requires neither heating nor cooling, and ventilation is entirely natural.

Particular attention is paid to user privacy, the overall scale of the complex, and the spirit and traditions of Galician vernacular construction. This is reflected in the masonry work using prefabricated modular elements for interior and exterior paving, inner and outer wall layers, and protective architectural components.

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The patio serves as the home’s new center. It brings in air and filtered light, offers shade and coolness in the summer months and introduces an unexpected layer of privacy behind the protected façade. It is through this open void that the house is now entered. Behind it, two new storeys were added within the existing volume: living spaces on the ground floor, workspaces above.

Built with standard materials and modest means, Casa Verri proposes an alternative model of transformation: one where subtraction holds more potential than addition.

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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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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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The classrooms’ street crosses through the entire facility from east to west, forming another axis structuring the school. Split in two by the interior play area, each part of the axis is embellished with four classrooms and patios. There is a vestibule/cloakroom at each classroom entrance and stands for games, which can be used for pedagogical or playful purposes.

At the intersection of the two axes that structure the school, a large interior play area serves as the genuine central area of the establishment, increasing the number of possible uses. This multi-purpose space can be used in the morning and evening to welcome preschoolers, in addition to the multi-purpose rooms and motricity rooms. In case of heavy rain, it complements the exterior playground but also hosts exhibitions and shows.

The dual-aspect classrooms benefit from multiple sources of natural light and very good ventilation. Their positioning between patios to the north and the school playground to the south ensures different ambiances in the same classroom. To the north, with light pouring in from the patio, a shared space built of wood between two classes creates a peaceful and calm area. To the south, the largest volume of the classes directly overlooking the playground is more collective. Each classroom also benefits from a ‘private’ play area overlooking the ‘common’ playground.

This shaded area improves flows between the interior and exterior, becoming a real extension of the classrooms. The playground, situated to the south and shaded by a line of trees, is shared between kindergarten and elementary classes. A genuine green setting, it is an ideal framework for the discovery of nature and outdoor games. A space dedicated to biodiversity, laid out on the roof, completes the exterior spaces made available. It includes tubs for growing vegetables and large picnic tables, favoring teaching activities related to the natural world. Finally, the playing field will also be accessible during recreation times, thus encouraging the practice of physical activities.

By definition, a school building must make its commitment to the environment visible. This principle has been applied to the project in both the choice of materials and the functioning of the building. The school’s load-bearing stone façades come from the Bonneuil-en-Valois quarry, located less than 60km from the construction site. Its thickness ensures the building’s thermal inertia while enhancing the value of the facility’s sculpted volumes. Between the classrooms, mud bricks are added to the wooden structure, increasing the visibility of natural and bio-sourced materials in the building’s construction.

The patios embellish and punctuate the common areas to the extent that all the spaces of the project benefit from very good natural lighting, fresh air, and comfortable humidity. Their placement naturally ventilates all the areas designed for children, as well as the common areas, which can then become genuine inhabited places and learning areas. The roof of the sporting area is equipped with photovoltaic panels producing more energy than the building consumes. The rest of the roof is planted, which improves thermal performance and total rainwater retention, while also providing inhabitants of the neighborhood with attractive views.

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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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The current project takes the form of a “re”- transformation of the barn based on subtraction, revealing the original qualities of the space. The main intervention restores the previous spatial character of the fourragère: partitions were removed to recover its through-configuration, and the slab was cut through its full depth to bring back its verticality.

The resulting layout follows a tripartite scheme: the central living space occupies the former fourragère, while service rooms and bedrooms are housed in structural bays on either side. Material choices reflect the same logic: pseudo-Tuscan finishes were replaced with white tiles reminiscent of milking rooms, and plaster was stripped to reveal the original textures underneath.

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