PROGRAM: Residential
AREA: 190 m²
LOCATION: La Garriga, Barcelona, Spain
STATUS: Completed
TIMEFRAME: 2017–2019
BD House is set on a semi-pedestrian street in La Garriga, within a fabric where traditional party-wall houses coexist with newer buildings. The long, narrow plot is organized to connect the main living spaces directly with the rear garden, while bedrooms and a study occupy the upper floor.
The house is built entirely with cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure and enclosure, left exposed across much of the interior. The construction system reduces execution time while making the structure itself part of the domestic identity. Continuous insulation, low-maintenance window systems and aerothermal heating and hot-water production complete a house in which construction, comfort and materiality are integrated into a precise and warm architectural solution.
On the ground floor are the day area and parking. The entrance hall connects the U-shaped staircase with the living room entrance. The living-dining-kitchen area is illuminated and ventilated through both facades and forms a single space with the interior garden.
On the first floor is the night area with the bedrooms and a study. The study is separated from the hallway and staircase by a glass partition. The remaining rooms are organized around a central hallway.
The structure and cladding of the house are entirely made of cross-laminated timber, exposed inside on walls, floors, and ceilings. Non-structural partitions are lightweight MDF and plasterboard walls.
The house’s exterior is insulated with rock wool, covered by a mortar layer, and aluminum carpentry that requires no maintenance.
The heating and hot water production system uses aerothermal energy, optimizing the heat pump to meet the necessary demands. These systems are hidden in strategically placed false ceilings to cover the wooden structure as minimally as possible.
In this way, the construction criteria, structural needs, and installations generate a composition of wood tones, white, and dark gray both inside and outside.
The result is a dwelling built with an industrialized system that combines structural coherence, aesthetics, and energy efficiency. The project demonstrates how an urban residential design can integrate sustainability and spatial quality, respecting its context and generating an architectural language that dialogues with its surroundings and traditional construction patterns.
DIRECTOR: Xavier Vilalta
PROJECT LEADER: Dolors Ollero
PROJECT TEAM: Silvia Vinci, Ophélie Lefort
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING: Albert Admetlla
QUANTITY SURVEYOR: Candela Juan
CONTRACTOR: Construverd
PHOTOGRAPHY: Mauricio Fuentes