Barcelona Houses, Contemporary Catalan Properties, New Residences Spain

Barcelona Properties, Spain : Casa Renau + Casa Prat

New Spanish residential buildings design by Rob Dubois

30 Apr 2012

House Renau

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Architect: Rob Dubois

Casa Renau

A high wall of almost 6m at the back of the site is the cause that the house is organized sideways towards the only free side of the plot where there are no obstructions in sight on short distance. its volume is developed like a stair of three steps – that offers a terrace to each floor- as to accompany the climbing road in front of the house and as a follow up of the nearby white dwellings (true: Loos came to mind as we developed the project).

The house is almost hermetically closed towards its very near neighbours but wide open towards its garden. the middle step has been converted into an oversized corten-steel jewel box where all the important functions of the house are located.

Casa Renau – Building Information

Client: Mr & Mrs Renau
Architect: Rob Dubois
Site area: 405 m²
Gross Floor area: 232 m²
Location: paratge dels Caputxins 8, Sant Celoni, Barcelona
Status: built – 2011
Project start date: 2008

House Prat

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Architect: Rob Dubois

Casa Prat

A simple geometry and a concept with references to a rocky world as a tribute to the nearby mountains considered for a generous house with an extensive program (790 m² built between basement, groundfloor & first floor), situated on a hill with unbeatable views towards this group of mountains that form the Montseny.

There is a desire to take advantage of the long interior perspectives, possible in a big house like this one, but at the same time there is a consciousness of avoiding an excess of monumentality to assure that you don’t feel dwarfed within the spaces created. It’s meant to be a home in the first place.

The local building code obliged us to make a volume of only the groundfloor (you were only allowed to do a first floor with a maximum area of 10% of the total surface) with pitched roofs and ‘natural’ materials with no harsh colours and of course we’ve played the game according to their rules, only adapting them to a contemporary language.

Casa Prat – Building Information

Client: Mr & Mrs Prat
Architect: Rob Dubois
Site area: 1663 m²
Gross Floor area: 747 m²
Location: Parcel•la 69, Urbanització de Vilalba, La Roca del Vallès, Barcelona
Status: built – 2009
Project start date: 2005

Drawings for Casa Renau (left) + Casa Prat (right):