The apartment on Quart Street in Valencia, Spain, originally built in the 80s, was in a state of absolute degradation when it was purchased in 2017. The challenge we were presented with at URLO was to create a comfortable and modern space to live in, in which light and materials could be the main protagonists.

In the central area of the apartment, coexisting with the existing structure of concrete beams and columns, we proposed a large diaphanous and well-lit space that houses the living room, dining room, and kitchen.

The main concrete beam helped us to separate the kitchen-dining area from the living room. With the construction of a base unit that expanded the kitchen's storage capacity, we generated a virtual but clear division of the two environments, despite the complex pre-existing geometry.

The absence of balconies and terraces led us to expand the dimensions of all the windows that we could to let in more light and enhance natural ventilation. Through the careful use of materials in the design of the window openings, including local colorful ceramics, we provided the interior space with a visual richness that compensated for the apartment’s lack of views.