Refurbishment of a terraced single-family home in Barbate, Cádiz
Architects
Concha Lora Chapela
Information of interest
UBICACIÓN: Barbate, Cádiz
SIZE: 135 m² built
YEAR: 2021
The project addresses the comprehensive refurbishment of a terraced single-family home in Barbate, adapting the vernacular building to the demands of contemporary living through a careful synthesis between traditional Andalusian construction and the influence of North African architecture. The intervention resolves the layout across two levels — ground floor and first floor with a walkable roof terrace — via a continuous spatial sequence that prioritises the entry of natural light and the texture of lime.
A plastered, moulded horseshoe arch takes on the role of filter and articulating core on the upper level, marking the threshold towards a raised platform sitting area. The interior atmosphere is defined by the continuous treatment of the vertical surfaces finished in rough white lime with a handcrafted texture and the preservation of the original hydraulic floor tiles in floral and geometric tones, which coexist with built-in masonry benches and niches carved into the wall. This formal sobriety is carried over to the bathroom space, resolved through the fluidity of a light continuous cladding, freestanding basins on masonry countertops and dividing partition walls with rounded edges.
On the top floor, the massing opens outwards, connecting the bedroom with a large accessible roof terrace conceived as a space for relaxation and contemplation. The perimeter of the terrace is defined by a white lattice of triangular ceramic pieces that filters the light, ensures privacy from neighbouring buildings and casts a dynamic interplay of shadows on the paving, incorporating built-in furniture and vegetation in terracotta planters that evoke the traditional courtyard culture.
Materiality consolidates a serene dialogue between vernacular memory and contemporary formal purity: the rough texture of manual whitewashing, the warmth of the shelving and exposed wood details, and the solidity of elements built in situ harmonise with the subtle presence of traditional joinery and reclaimed mirrors, enveloping the home in a luminous, serene atmosphere deeply tied to the coastal identity of Cádiz.
