Ca la Carolina

The project, designed jointly with Altura Arquitectes, aims to renovate Grandma Carolina’s old house in Rabós (Alt Empordà), after a period of being closed, to prevent its progressive deterioration and make it suitable for family use, for both short and long stays.

It is a simple building in the old town, dated from the 18th century, consisting of a main structure with two levels. The upper floor contains the dwelling with access from the street, while the lower, semi-basement level was originally used for animals and as a storage space for farming activities, along with the courtyard—both accessible from a side passage. The original construction is of stone, with small openings, and the main rooms are concentrated along the north-facing street façade. The house had previously undergone a renovation that improved the roof and added a new attic, a small extension in the courtyard with an extra room, and updates to the house’s services and utilities. The new intervention engages in dialogue with that previous renovation, repeating roof gestures, maintaining constructive continuity, and recovering the characteristic pink color of the façade.

The renovation aims to improve the home’s climatic performance for year-round comfort and “turn” the house towards the south by linking the kitchen–living–dining space to the façade and opening it up to the views and newly adapted outdoor spaces. Programmatically, the proposal includes a self-sufficient main floor with the minimum housing program, designed to grow or shrink as needed. The attic floor features a bedroom with a new bathroom and a flexible-use space resulting from the earlier volume expansion, now opening to the south. Bedrooms, bathrooms, storage, and circulation areas act as a thermal buffer on the north façade. A new skylight cuts through the vaulted slab to bring natural light and solar gain back into the central space of the home: the dining table of Ca la Carolina.

Environmental strategies, both passive and active, focus on maximizing the thermal inertia of the existing solid and massive construction, made mainly of stone and ceramic. These materials are left exposed to highlight their qualities, and despite the diversity of textures and finishes, a traditional whitewash visually unifies the spaces and enhances natural light. To optimize solar gain, new openings have been introduced on the south side, while smaller openings are maintained on the north and east façades, with improved carpentry. Cross ventilation is ensured in all rooms, and to protect the interior from solar radiation in summer, systems such as roll-up blinds, shutters, and a green pergola have been installed. Thermal insulation of the envelope has been increased using wood fiber, and the home is heated with a pellet stove for the coldest winter days.

To reduce the environmental impact of materials, various strategies have been adopted. The preexisting construction is preserved and enhanced, retaining all previous layers and renovations, minimizing demolition, and reusing as many elements as possible—such as concrete beams, stone, and tiles. The selected new materials have low environmental impact, including wood fiber insulation for walls and roof, and wooden windows. Locally sourced materials are prioritized, such as glazed ceramics from La Bisbal for floors and tiles. Finally, the local economy is supported, and transportation is reduced by employing construction systems that can be executed by local craftsmen, highlighting their skills and traditional techniques.