Renovation

The origin of Vila-seca, in the 12th century, occurred during the repopulation of Tarragona after a long period of abandonment, being a frontier land between al-Andalus and the county of Barcelona. Essentially, the origin of the population can be understood fundamentally as an intersection of roads between the axis that connected Cambrils with La Canonja, with the axis that connected Reus with the sea.

Yulin Alley is located at Yulin Sanxiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. The area of Yulin was built in the 1980s and 1990s. In the past decades, apartments built in different periods were connected by paths, and the integration of old and new buildings gradually formed the present Yulin, which has its own temperament – the air of the marketplace. The charm of Yulin may start from its old age. Yulin East Road in Yulin Street is facing the same problems as most old urban areas, with aging houses, dilapidated greenery, narrow roads, and lack of public space, increasingly unable to meet the needs of residents’ public life. In such an old urban area with tight conditions, whether we can effectively organize and utilize the remaining space in the blind spots of urban planning is the first topic we face. As a community public space, how to realize its openness and sustainability is the second issue we face.

The rehabilitation of La Carbonería owes its form to the diversity of intertwined stories over a century and a half. Integrating this intangible legacy into the design has been as relevant as attention paid to its structure, spaces, and energy efficiency. A modest residential building constructed in 1864, it gained notoriety in 2008 when it was occupied and two large murals were painted on its facade. Its forced evacuation in 2014 made La Carbonería a graphic and political icon of Barcelona.

Originally, the building was conceived as two entities; a production space on the ground floor and an owner’s flat on the first floor with private access. The ground floor has had multiple functions throughout the years; from meat processing to car shop. The Antwerp neighborhood has evolved more towards residential in recent years, so converting the ground floor to living functions was a logical intervention.

Yumin Village, one of the earliest “ten-thousand yuan households” villages in Shenzhen, played a significant role in the city’s reform and opening up. In 2019, as part of the celebrations for the 40th anniversary of Shenzhen’s reform and opening up, the Luohu District sought to contribute to the occasion by showcasing projects that highlight the achievements of this transformative era. Our team was given the opportunity to undertake the renovation and optimization of Yumin Village.

The ruined house is located on the outskirts of the city of Itupeva, 80km from São Paulo, on a 19th-century farm. We were asked to renovate a colonial stone ruin and transform it into two residences for local residents.

Although the beginnings of the study are in the city of Barcelona, while we were studying at the school of architecture, Nora’s choir and roots have a strong base in Mallorca. After many years in Muro, a town for which we are grateful for the multiple opportunities it has given us during our early years, we are presented with the possibility of designing a new space to continue developing our activity. We take on this challenge with great enthusiasm since we firmly believe that the workspace must be inspiring for its inhabitants and the people visiting us.

Jingde County is situated in Xuancheng City, Anhui Province. It occupies a central position in southern Anhui. Renowned for its pristine natural surroundings, Jingde County is recognized as a “National Ecological County.” Notably, in 2016, it became the inaugural “International Cittaslow City” in Anhui Province. The project site is located in the central area of the county town, at the entrance of the commercial pedestrian street. The site is adjacent to the Huishui River. It is also the last remaining small historic neighborhood in the central area of the county town. Currently, the structures within the site primarily comprise timber constructions dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties, accompanied by a few masonry structures that were erected after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. They are generally ordinary residential houses from historical periods and do not have any preserved cultural heritage status. The current state of the buildings is dilapidated, however. The primary goal and prerequisite of the planning and design are to evaluate the current physical form and preserve and restore the spatial layout of the historic neighborhood. At the same time, it is crucial to explore ways to introduce new commercial and leisure functions, allowing the neighborhood to once again fulfill the public life needs of the people of Jingde and sustainably revitalize with new vitality. This becomes a significant proposition in the planning and design process.