TR House, Barcelona
In 2016, the architectural practice PMMT completed TR House in Barcelona, Spain. The unique chequerboard screen of glazed ceramic tiles that wraps around the house was designed with the intention of blending in with the surrounding gardens.
The gardens surround an existing 19th-century house that belonged to the parents of the client. This meant that the architects were faced with the challenge of integrating a new house into the landscape without obstructing the views from the existing house.
The steepness of the site required that the volume of the house was split, so that the three-storey building is partially submerged in the descending ground, and so that access could be provided by entrances on different levels.
Vertical chestnut boards clad the majority of the front and rear facades, with glazed openings that are positioned carefully so as to reveal views but maintain the inhabitants’ privacy.
The other facades are wrapped in a semi-solid surface, cascading down from the pergola on the upper floor terrace. This green surface is composed of vitrified ceramic tiles fixed to a stainless steel wire lattice. This innovative tile technique has been patented as Fabrik by the manufacturers Shildan Group. For more information, see Fabrik by Shildan.
The centre of the building contains an open-air patio, lined with glazing to enable natural light to permeate the surrounding rooms. At the rear of the building, the main living areas open onto a secluded area of decking.
Content courtesy of PMMT.
Photography copyright of Pedro Pegenaute.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Guidance offered for stained glass window maintenance.
Define need before determining viability.
Adding civility to civil engineering
Framework examines social value of projects.
An open ended procurement method
RfX or Request for [fill in the blank].
Organisation establishes Equality, Diversity, Inclusion taskforce.
The new deal for infrastructure
Government announces plans for new building projects.
Outsourcing method to procure and manage supplies.
Joint support of Local Authority Historic Environment and Conservation Services.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is an outstanding achievement.
Buildings of the interwar years. Book review.
Protecting irreplaceable heritage
Ireland’s climate change sectoral adaptation plan.
Rethinking the acoustics of the office.
Various deterrent measures can help managers deal with avian problems.
Groups send message to government.
Observations from new CIOB president
Mark Beard FCIOB shares thoughts on changes in the construction industry.