Casa Umbral is a residential project for a single-family house situated in the northeastern district of Madrid. The primary goal of this project is to create a home that provides tranquillity and serene spaces, effectively shielded from the external environment and street noise. The structural layout is designed to accommodate the family’s lifestyle and daily routines. A decision was made to designate the ground floor exclusively for daily activities, encompassing the kitchen, office, and living room areas. Meanwhile, spaces typically utilized in the evenings, such as bedrooms, are situated on the upper level. This allocation allows for the incorporation of large windows at the ground floor level, providing views and access to the private garden. Overall, this project is the result of a balance of open internal spaces, a subdued and warm colour scheme resonating with contemporary aesthetics, where integrated vegetation enhances the Zen ambience.

Design and technology are employed to establish relationships and distinct boundaries between exterior and interior spaces. The innovative approach revolves around four key volumes: one enclosed structure facing the street, and three open structures overlooking the backyard. The exterior volumetric partition influences the interior layout by serving as an integral component of the built-in furniture, effectively dividing, and connecting the primary living spaces. This configuration creates intimate and secluded spaces within the building, allowing occupants to feel at ease and unrestricted within the home while maintaining their privacy from the public streets.

The facade is made up of a repetitive crisscross design, which adds charm to the interior with its mesmerizing visual effect, captivating shadow play, and even distribution of soft light throughout the building. This technology in design serves as a sustainable strategy for passive lighting, contributing to energy cost savings. Combined with the furniture’s earthy colour palette and the incorporation of natural materials, particularly the use of soft-finished wood, it has created the perfect balance and mix between contemporary aesthetics and nature, achieving the desired functional outcomes.

Moreover, the project adopts forward-thinking strategies to foster vegetation expanses within the patios and terraces. Beyond merely enhancing the indoor ambience, these design interventions promote eco-conscious practices, facilitating air purification, and elevating indoor air quality.

In summary, Casa Umbral epitomizes a seamless fusion of innovation, functionality, and sustainability within the realm of architecture, promising a superlative living experience for its users.