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Before & After
Before & After: A Former Print Shop "in Shambles" Gets its Groove
A radical open-plan solution for a Barcelona loft apartment lets its owner live, work and play with flexible flair
“Unconventional. Fun. Original. Innovative. Amazing. Sober. Austere. Versatile. Playful. Natural. Full of life. Reversible. Home and work.” This is the list of words that owner Claudia Misteli and her partner sent Soto-Lay Architects for their loft design brief in Barcelona, Spain. Nothing less.
Before Photo
The floor plan before works.
Originally, the site was completely open. It took six months to transform the premises into a “flexible and pared-back” home, as Charmaine Lay – who manages Soto-Lay Architects along with partner Santi Soto – puts it.
“They were good clients: involved but not interfering. They were clear about what they wanted and, at the same time, gave us total freedom. They were looking for an open place to live, work, and host events and meetings,” says Lay.
Originally, the site was completely open. It took six months to transform the premises into a “flexible and pared-back” home, as Charmaine Lay – who manages Soto-Lay Architects along with partner Santi Soto – puts it.
“They were good clients: involved but not interfering. They were clear about what they wanted and, at the same time, gave us total freedom. They were looking for an open place to live, work, and host events and meetings,” says Lay.
The floor plan after works.
The space now has two levels (we’ll come back to that later) – the kitchen is on the raised platform, while the leisure and work area is next to the windows. The centre of the space is kept open for meetings and debates.
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The space now has two levels (we’ll come back to that later) – the kitchen is on the raised platform, while the leisure and work area is next to the windows. The centre of the space is kept open for meetings and debates.
Thinking of renovating? Find an architect near you, browse images of their work and read reviews from previous clients
Owner Claudia Misteli with her dog, Tres, pictured at the bar that separates the kitchen from the rest of the open-plan space.
“We were excited to build a space from scratch which serves as a home and also welcomes Contrallum, a creative project that aims to facilitate an intersection between landscape, communication, art, design and culture,” says Misteli.
“The kitchen brings structure to the space around a large worktop. It is totally open and you can see other parts of the home from there,” says Lay. The furniture is made of wood. The multipurpose benchtop is used for cooking, storage, as a table and a bookcase, which responds to the need for flexibility – one of the main themes of this renovation.
“We were excited to build a space from scratch which serves as a home and also welcomes Contrallum, a creative project that aims to facilitate an intersection between landscape, communication, art, design and culture,” says Misteli.
“The kitchen brings structure to the space around a large worktop. It is totally open and you can see other parts of the home from there,” says Lay. The furniture is made of wood. The multipurpose benchtop is used for cooking, storage, as a table and a bookcase, which responds to the need for flexibility – one of the main themes of this renovation.
The raised platform is made of Galician pine and the floor is microcement. “We chose wood as the material for the platform to not only provide a raised view of the home, but also to contrast the industrial hardness of the concrete and mortar used throughout the rest of the premises,” says Lay.
The couple are design aficionados and collectors of recycled objects. “They chose the light fixtures and most of the furniture. The bolted down and built-in furniture, as well as the bed, were designed by the studio,” says Lay.
The couple are design aficionados and collectors of recycled objects. “They chose the light fixtures and most of the furniture. The bolted down and built-in furniture, as well as the bed, were designed by the studio,” says Lay.
Before Photo
The apartment before works.
The window height was one of this project’s biggest challenges. “Windows are normally 130 centimetres above the floor. The ones in this home are 180 centimetres above the floor because they were designed for industrial use,” says Misteli.
The solution was to install the wooden platform that raised the space to give it a more human scale and, in this way, re-establish visual contact with the urban landscape. “The platform is the same height as a chair [45 centimetres], which makes it a comfortable seat when the central space is used as an exhibition space,” says Misteli.
The window height was one of this project’s biggest challenges. “Windows are normally 130 centimetres above the floor. The ones in this home are 180 centimetres above the floor because they were designed for industrial use,” says Misteli.
The solution was to install the wooden platform that raised the space to give it a more human scale and, in this way, re-establish visual contact with the urban landscape. “The platform is the same height as a chair [45 centimetres], which makes it a comfortable seat when the central space is used as an exhibition space,” says Misteli.
The apartment after works.
On the right of the photo, you can see a place for enjoying the view beyond the windows, comprised of a raised daybed and platform, designed as a continuous unit.
“From the windows we see the ‘B-side’ of Barcelona, the part that looks towards Poblenou and Besós. On clear days, you can see the snowy silhouette of Montseny [a mountain range near Barcelona],” says Misteli.
On the right of the photo, you can see a place for enjoying the view beyond the windows, comprised of a raised daybed and platform, designed as a continuous unit.
“From the windows we see the ‘B-side’ of Barcelona, the part that looks towards Poblenou and Besós. On clear days, you can see the snowy silhouette of Montseny [a mountain range near Barcelona],” says Misteli.
The home offered some advantages from a sustainability perspective as well: the architects explain that its location, with only one facade and a small rear courtyard, makes it very energy efficient with excellent cross ventilation.
“A strategically placed biomass stove was chosen for the winter. Additionally, the renovation minimised demolition and waste materials, by using wood as the main construction material and, generally, choosing materials that can be put in place dry [and are simpler and cleaner to install],” says Lay.
“A strategically placed biomass stove was chosen for the winter. Additionally, the renovation minimised demolition and waste materials, by using wood as the main construction material and, generally, choosing materials that can be put in place dry [and are simpler and cleaner to install],” says Lay.
The viewing point is the space the owners enjoy the most. They’ve nicknamed it the festejador: “The nickname is inspired by the festejadors of the old Catalan farmhouses, where lovers would meet to talk and get to know each other better,” says Misteli of the traditional window seats arranged face-to-face.
This space can also be used as a bed, a lounger, a place to read or simply as a vantage point from which to stop and take in the city views.
This space can also be used as a bed, a lounger, a place to read or simply as a vantage point from which to stop and take in the city views.
We asked the owner about the advantages and disadvantages of open-plan living in a space designed for different uses. “The advantage is being able to enjoy an open-plan space with infinite possibilities. One day it can be used for watching films; another day, for a cooking workshop,” she says.
As for the downsides, Misteli notes the acoustics and the difficulty in finding spots to enjoy silence or privacy. “And, not every overnight guest is used to sleeping without walls. The issue of privacy is something to consider before moving into a loft. Make sure you consider how comfortable you are living in a space with limited privacy,” she says.
Browse more industrial-style home offices
As for the downsides, Misteli notes the acoustics and the difficulty in finding spots to enjoy silence or privacy. “And, not every overnight guest is used to sleeping without walls. The issue of privacy is something to consider before moving into a loft. Make sure you consider how comfortable you are living in a space with limited privacy,” she says.
Browse more industrial-style home offices
Before Photo
The apartment before works.
“Normally, industrial locations are built in an elongated shape with very little light, because they have such a small front in relation to the total space. But this place was flooded with natural light so we saw great potential in it,” says Misteli.
“Normally, industrial locations are built in an elongated shape with very little light, because they have such a small front in relation to the total space. But this place was flooded with natural light so we saw great potential in it,” says Misteli.
The apartment after works.
The cylindrical bedroom, pictured here, is surrounded by sliding circular doors. The goal was to avoid completely isolating the space, creating a sense of continuity instead.
“It’s one of the most impressive features of the home. As the bed has wheels, you can easily move it and use the cylindrical space for something completely different. One day, for example, we projected a documentary inside the cylinder and arranged chairs like in a cinema,” says Misteli.
The cylindrical bedroom, pictured here, is surrounded by sliding circular doors. The goal was to avoid completely isolating the space, creating a sense of continuity instead.
“It’s one of the most impressive features of the home. As the bed has wheels, you can easily move it and use the cylindrical space for something completely different. One day, for example, we projected a documentary inside the cylinder and arranged chairs like in a cinema,” says Misteli.
This photograph shows what the space looks like when the sliding doors are closed.
“These circular sliding doors don’t touch the ceiling or the surrounding walls, making it the best solution for creating [visual] privacy without compartmentalising the space. The doors have their own geometry that is different from that of the rest of the space. The best solutions often arise from seemingly contradictory requirements,” says Lay.
“These circular sliding doors don’t touch the ceiling or the surrounding walls, making it the best solution for creating [visual] privacy without compartmentalising the space. The doors have their own geometry that is different from that of the rest of the space. The best solutions often arise from seemingly contradictory requirements,” says Lay.
“In the project plan, we recommended installing two sets of sliding circular doors (two bedrooms) and two fixed cylinders (bathroom and storage). During construction, it was decided to only build one cylinder for a bedroom. But, perhaps they will do it later,” says Lay.
Pictured here, a sliver of the bathroom is revealed beyond the fixed timber-clad cylinder that houses the bathing space.
Pictured here, a sliver of the bathroom is revealed beyond the fixed timber-clad cylinder that houses the bathing space.
Inside the cylinder, the bathroom is universally clad in tiles, from floor to walls and ceiling.
Your turn
What do you love about this flexible live/work/play space? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, save the images and join the renovation conversation.
More
Ready for another great transformation? You’ll love this dramatic Before & After: A Nature-Inspired Palette for a Tired UK Kitchen
Your turn
What do you love about this flexible live/work/play space? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, save the images and join the renovation conversation.
More
Ready for another great transformation? You’ll love this dramatic Before & After: A Nature-Inspired Palette for a Tired UK Kitchen
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: Claudia Misteli, her partner, and their dog, Tres
Location: Poblenou, Barcelona, Spain
Size: 180 square metres
Project: Soto-Lay Architects
The site of this apartment has a great view and occupies a former 1960s print shop in an industrial building located in Barcelona’s Poblenou district. But the space was “in shambles,” according to the owner.
“There was a hole in the facade that was so large you could see the Besós chimneys [referring to the iconic chimneys of a decommissioned power station] through it. Putting aside the state of the property, we saw that it had potential,” says Misteli, who is a designer and journalist.