Rec House

Two old buildings in an Igualada neighborhood have been emptied and refurbished with local materials to form a residence and an office.

The firm Guallart Architects has renovated a small old textile factory and a dwelling, two late-19th-century buildings in the Rec neighborhood of Igualada, near Barcelona. The area is currently undergoing a transition from industrial zone – revolving around its leather tanning tradition – to a creative quarter open to cultural, artistic, and gastronomic events. The facade presents different materials that reflect the historical construction phases, and incorporates a mural designed by the artist Btoy in the cultural spirit of Rec. Inside, the architects opted to remove walls, slabs, patios, and pillars through demolition, reinforcement, and recycling, with the intention of freeing up space for a home and an office.

In the residence, the space that emerges on ground level, diaphanous and executed with local materials, rises two heights and is dominated by bookshelves and a fireplace. The upper levels accommodate the rest of the private program: one for the children’s bedrooms and another for the master bedroom, with its floor made of wood recycled from demolished beams. The same procedure has been carried out in the offices of the annexed building, creating a workplace on each of the three floors and emphasizing material austerity.