The Brava Houses

Refurbishment of two houses located by the camí de ronda (trail that runs along the Costa Brava), between Llançà and Port de la Selva. Both houses, self-built in the 60s by the father of the owners, have suffered the harshness of Tramuntana (strong local northern wind) and the salty environment.

The plot is affected by the ongoing Special Local Urban Improvement Plan, which limits  the desing possiblities, since it does not allow to modify distribution, volume or build area. The objective of the project becomes then to repair all the construction and structural pathologies caused by disuse and lack of maintenance, and also adjust the distribution to comply with modern habitability regulations, which is permited by the Special Urban Plan. In addition, the fact that the roofs were in bad condition and needed renovation offers the opportunity to improve the whole performance of the building in terms of sustainability and efficiency. New insulation is placed on roofs and facades, and new high efficiency wooden windows are installed. In consequence, energy consumption will be reduced significantly.

In the main house, the corridor is widened in order to gain amplitude where bathrooms and bedrooms converge. In the kitchen, a new set of shelves placed in the corner creates the fiction of a closed kitchen, but the result is an open plan kitchen, with views to the dining room and the views of the Costa Brava.

Transformation process

Some images from the original condition of the houses