This thorough revamp of a 50-square-meter flat was carried out with a material budget of only 10,000 euros. Six decisions were made at the outset. The first one was to work with termal gradients in the functional and programmatic layout of the dwelling, so the rooms are nestled within others, from coldest to warmest. The second decision was to raise elements of the apartment on recycled table legs, freeing up space for water pipes and electrical fittings with a view to minimizing costs and saving time. The third was to use materials sparingly, choosing those guaranteeing a good, balanced cost/effiicency ratio both structure-wise and energy-wise (standard boards of MDF wood and natural sheep’s wool). The fourth was to keep the traces of demolished elements visible, with no new coatings, thus further saving on materials and execution time. The fifth was to put the bathroom and the kitchen in the best parts of the space, along the facades. And the sixth was to promote self-build through a renovation where the different elements (walls, ceilings, pillars) would be formed from planes and assembled DIY-style with the help of a small instructions manual, skirting the need to call in specialists.