Experimental

The project consists of the conversion of a former general goods store (“Chinese shop”) into a two-storey single-family dwelling, located between two contrasting urban frontages: a busy avenue and a quieter secondary street at the rear. The new spatial configuration makes use of this dual condition, offering two distinct modes of access and exposure — one more public and urban, the other more private and domestic.

The intervention is conceived as a direct response to current economic and social conditions, opting for affordable materials and conventional construction systems that are compatible with local labour and easy to execute. This strategy ensures not only the economic feasibility of the project but also reflects a realistic and conscious stance regarding available resources and context.

The most significant structural transformation was the partial demolition of an intermediate slab, allowing the creation of a sequence of split-level spaces. This gesture introduces new visual and functional relationships, breaking with the rigidity of the original layout and bringing greater spatial fluidity to the interior. The connection between the various levels is provided by a system of staircases and an internal bridge, linking different areas for living, working, and resting across the two storeys.

Finishes are kept to a minimum, favouring continuous surfaces, exposed structure, dry construction solutions, and a raw, honest materiality. More than a conventional house, this project results in an adaptive housing device, where working with the existing becomes both a technical act and a critical response to the contemporary city and ways of living.