130AUS - New row house in Sabadell

Simplicity and Appropriateness

The design balances comfort and low-tech dependency by relying almost entirely on passive strategies rather than mechanical systems. Natural cross-ventilation, a ventilated stairwell, night cooling through roof windows, and solar control with traditional shutters ensure thermal comfort throughout the year. Material choices like wood, cork and ceramic tiles provide natural hygrometric regulation, stable indoor temperatures, and tactile warmth without technological complexity. This approach challenges the conventional reliance on HVAC systems, smart home devices, and multilayered technical assemblies that often increase costs and energy consumption. Instead, the house demonstrates that well-oriented openings, breathable materials, and compact design can deliver the same or better comfort levels. By removing suspended ceilings, unnecessary finishes, and excessive installations, the project celebrates a form of architecture where appropriateness is a virtue and simplicity is not a limitation but a pathway to resilience, durability, and user autonomy.

Sufficiency and Efficiency

The project demonstrates measurable gains in efficiency through a radical reduction of both built area and energy demand. By optimising the envelope with wood-fibre insulation, airtight construction, and cork cladding, energy use is estimated to be cut by 70-80% compared to a conventional home with HVAC systems. The decision to avoid mechanical heating and cooling eliminates equipment costs, maintenance, and electricity consumption entirely. Construction efficiency is achieved with a simple CLT box resting on shared party walls, reducing structural complexity and assembly time. The CLT box concept refers to a structural system where cross-laminated timber panels form a self-contained envelope. This integrated volume encompasses the ground floor ceiling, all first-floor interior walls and facades, the mezzanine, and the roof structure. Material reuse from the deconstructed house lowers waste generation and minimises environmental impact. Every design choice follows a principle of sufficiency: only building what is necessary, no more. When compared to standard local alternatives, this approach results in lower embodied carbon, shorter construction periods, and drastically reduced operational energy, proving that meaningful comfort can be achieved with far fewer resources.

The principle of sufficiency is also evident in the house's size: it has a floor area of just 115 m², although regulations would have permitted a maximum of 200 m². In comparable projects, most houses in the area are between 150 m² and 180 m². This demonstrates that the design was intentionally limited to what was actually needed.

Beauty

The project embraces the local aesthetic identity of Sabadell’s traditional narrow houses, preserving the original street façade and proportion while introducing warm, tactile materials rooted in the region’s building culture. The use of timber structure, wooden shutters, ceramic flooring from El Bruc, and brick from the Segrià creates a palette that is both familiar and contemporary. Inside, the contrast between the cool ceramic of the ground floor and the warmth of exposed CLT on the upper level reflects a Mediterranean sensibility of seasonal comfort. The cork cladding, subtle and earthy, ties the home to natural textures typical of the local landscape. Light, proportion, and material honesty define the beauty of the house-not through ornament or excess, but through clarity, respect for history, and the quiet elegance of a space designed to be lived in, not performed.

Unique Principles of Success

The project does not claim to be an exceptional or heroic piece of architecture; instead, it aims to demonstrate that ordinary homes, built on modest plots with limited resources, can meaningfully address climate, comfort, and cultural continuity. Its uniqueness lies not in extravagance but in the disciplined consistency of its approach.


1. Building only what is necessary

A home should adjust to real daily needs, not to theoretical scenarios or market-driven expectations. This meant renouncing redundant rooms, oversized spaces, or mechanical systems designed to compensate for an inefficient envelope. The project shows that the most sustainable square meter is the one that is never built, and that spatial quality arises from good proportion, natural light, and coherent materiality rather than from size.


2. Integration of circularity from the start

Instead of demolishing the existing ruined house, the team approached it as a material bank. Deconstruction allowed bricks, timber pieces, metal elements, and other components to be recovered, sorted, and reused when possible. This practice minimizes waste, reduces the carbon footprint of new materials, and acknowledges the value of the existing urban fabric. The care invested in this process reflects a mindset that sees buildings not as disposable products but as evolving systems where materials can flow from one cycle to the next. This attitude is still uncommon in small-scale residential projects, making it a distinctive aspect of the methodology.


3. Deep commitment to low-tech, passive comfort strategies

Rather than relying on heating and cooling machinery, the house is designed as a climate-responsive organism. Cross-ventilation routes, stack effect cooling through the staircase and roof windows, solar protection with traditional shutters, compact volume, hygroscopic materials, and well-insulated façades all work together to stabilise indoor temperatures. The decision to eliminate HVAC systems entirely is bold but grounded in rigorous envelope design and a realistic understanding of the Mediterranean climate. This approach not only reduces energy consumption but also encourages occupants to engage with their environment, regulating comfort intuitively: opening shutters, ventilating at night, using seasonal adaptation rather than mechanical control. The project challenges the dominant narrative that comfort requires complex technology and instead demonstrates that a well-designed building can maintain excellent conditions with minimal energy.


4. Material honesty and local identity

The architecture does not hide its construction. Exposed CLT panels, wooden beams, ceramic tiles, and cork cladding are shown as they are, without cosmetic layers or unnecessary finishes. This transparency makes the spatial experience warmer, more tactile, and more durable. The palette is deeply rooted in local traditions: ceramic tiles from El Bruc, bricks from the Segrià, timber carpentry reminiscent of historic Mediterranean homes, and a carefully restored street façade that preserves the continuity of the neighbourhood. This sensitivity to place is a defining element of the project’s character and success.

Limitations

While the project provides a strong model for low-tech, climate-responsive housing, its replication also has limits. CLT construction is not yet equally affordable or familiar everywhere, and the concept depends on users being willing to adapt their habits to the climate. Broader implementation would also require municipal support for deconstruction, material reuse, and simpler planning processes. A further opportunity lies in reusing materials from the existing house on the plot, although this was not possible in this project. Even so, the project’s core principles remain transferable when adapted to local climate, culture, and construction practices.