We answered a few questions about Alba & Oriol’s house in the Spring issue No. 196 of  Neo2 Magazine. We talked about our connection to Colombia, rural houses, concrete bricks, plants, and Catalan poultry farms. Thank you, Javier!

The galerías —or verandas—of the haciendas are a defining feature of colonial Colombian architecture. These in-between spaces give shelter from the sun while extending indoor spaces into the landscape. Sometimes light and airy in timber, other times grounded by thick, weighty columns, they adapt to both place and purpose.

For Oriol & Alba’s house, since creating a patio was not possible due to the building code, the image of Colombia’s Haciendas immediately came to mind. We embraced the galería as a way to expand the house outward, carefully sizing it to provide shade from the southern sun in summer while allowing warmth to filter in during winter. Solid pillars, matching the thickness of the walls, establish a steady rhythm in contradiction with the delicate overhang of the roof.

The transformation is palpable as we approach the final stage of Ana and Oscar’s penthouse renovation in Barcelona. Walls have given way to openness, making Tibidabo and the city an ever-present backdrop to daily life. Natural mortar infuses the space with warmth, creating a calm Mediterranean retreat above the city.

Stay tuned, more info soon!

In Oriol & Alba’s House, an oddly bittersweet twist unfolded. A non-structural pillar, quietly standing in the garden, was meant to represent continuity—until the final inspection arrived. Deemed outside regulation, despite being initially approved, the pillar had to be demolished. Could it not be a garden sculpture? A Strelitzia now blooms where it once stood, next to its remaining foundations.