Apartment Building for Four Friends

Four friendly couples join in in a community project, building a house in Barcelona with five apartments with common spaces of coexistence. Promoters of the building, with architect Thomas Lussi as initiator, are the residents themselves, who decided to build a new habitat in Barcelona. They found a narrow 6m wide and 30m long property in the Poblenou district in a typical perimeter block development within the Cerdà grid.

Together with the local architect Lola Domènech they were able to build a house that fits their own needs, each party occupying one floor in a common living arrangement. The commercial space on the ground floor is used as an architect’s office. The apartments of about 80 m2 have two terraces, one on the courtyard-facade and one on the street-facade. They guarantee cross ventilation and make up the faces of the facades.

The living room, kitchen and dining room are located on the rear facade in direct relation to the courtyard of the building. The courtyard on the ground floor and the pool on the rooftop are designed as spaces for activities and socializing for all the inhabitants of the building.



The project proposes a rereading of materials and constructive systems, incorporating them into a new architectural language. The combination of materials such as wood, ceramics, and plaster gives the building the desired texture and warmth.

The system of adaptable wooden blinds, inspired by the traditional sliding shutters of the city, allows to shift sunlight on the terraces and improve the thermal comfort of the homes while generating a dynamic play on the facades of the building.

The project seeks integration and coherence with the urban context, recognizing the industrial character of the neighborhood and using typical materials of Poblenou.

At all times it has pursued a commitment to passive architecture, reinterpreting the use of constructional systems and technical solutions of the area.

The longitudinal façade, which incorporates the common staircase, is implemented with a rectangular ceramic latticework that allows natural and constant ventilation and lighting while generating different shades of natural light in the access area.



The building (with energy classification A) has been built with passive design criteria – to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption considerably – with measures such as the use of a good thermal envelope with double walls and insulation of 10cm for the facades and 12cm for the roof. All the apartments have a heating and cooling system with underfloor heating and integrated air conditioning powered by a renewable energy system (aerothermal energy).

The design of the interior spaces seeks a formal balance and a good dialogue between the different materials. The use of raw materials such as in-situ concrete, floors with hard-concrete, untreated wooden fittings and anthracite-colored lime plaster create a sensual, haptic and relaxed living atmosphere.

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