Wooden Studio House by Dom Arquitectura

Wood Studio House is a compact timber studio nestled into the valley of Sant Cugat in Catalonia, Spain. The large windows frame the serene views of the nearby deciduous trees which provide shade in the warmer months and allow for the low winter sun to bathe the rooms in warmth and light. Despite it’s compact size of 76m2, it has been designed with flexibility in mind. The current layout consists of a loungeroom, bathroom and studio space lined with cupboards which can be replaced with a kitchenette, converting the studio into a small cottage.

Locally sourced and environmentally certified timber has been used extensively in this building, with the exception of the flooring which is linoleum, made from natural raw materials.

Strange but true – I once had a flooring rep suggest that I could eat the linoleum sample he gave me as way of demonstrating his confidence in the natural materials used. We had a good laugh about this idea, but I think he was being serious!

Sustainability specs:
– Passive solar design
– Decidious trees provide shade in summer and allow sunlight in winter
– Well placed windows light the home
– Cooled via cross ventilation
– Pre-fabricated off site to minimise impact on site
– Local Catalan Pyrenees timber used, with environmental certification
– Exterior clad in fir timber and interior is a pine plywood
– Linoleum flooring
– Seven rainwater tanks installed under house for irrigation
– How water solar system
– Highly insulated and sealed
– Double glazed with low-e glass
– Edible garden kitchen

The orientation and position of the house/studio have been studied in order to take the greatest advantage of the site’s available resources and climatic conditions, reducing its environmental impact, energetic consumption and improving its interior comfort.

The house has a rectangular plan. Its longer side is oriented south, and has the biggest openings to capture radiation during winter months while protected from the sun during summer.