Old Dry-Cleaning Shop Converted Into A Modern Family Home

Located in Gracia, Barcelona, this residence appears to be inviting and well fit for a family. Its history reveals, however, the fact that it wasn’t built to serve as a family home. Originally, the building was a dry-cleaning shop. It was later converted into what is today by architect Carles Enrich. The project was relatively accessible given the fact that the layout and orientation weren’t a big problem.

Patio house in gracia carles enrich16

The house currently has a surface of 145 square meters. It was built in 2013 so it’s new. Nevertheless, it’s older than it seems. The conversion aimed at optimizing the space and making it suitable for a young family to live in.

Patio house in gracia carles enrich16

The architect came up with a plan that would allow the inhabitants to live in a single space organized around the patio. The patio became the central piece. The rest of the house features a single room in which activities take place and this room has visual contact with the patio.

Patio house in gracia carles enrich16
Patio house in gracia carles enrich16
Patio house in gracia carles enrich16
Patio house in gracia carles enrich16
Patio house in gracia carles enrich16
Patio house in gracia carles enrich16
Patio house in gracia carles enrich16
Patio house in gracia carles enrich16
Patio house in gracia carles enrich16
Patio house in gracia carles enrich16
Patio house in gracia carles enrich16
Patio house in gracia carles enrich16
Patio house in gracia carles enrich16
Patio house in gracia carles enrich16
Patio house in gracia carles enrich16

In order to be able to create this type of space, all the partitions that were small rooms without natural light or ventilation had to be removed. The openings were extended to the exterior. During the process, the original materials used in the walls were recovered and reused. In addition to transforming the layout of the house, the architect also converted an old storage room at the back of the plot into a studio, independent from the main house.