More than a hundred years old, this two-apartment building set between party walls in the old quarter of Artá has been renovated and enlarged in the wake of a painstaking detailed study focused on reusing existing elements. The project came to fruition on the initiative of the Balearic Housing Institute (IBAVI).

Minimal touches were made to adapt the original facade to current livability-related requirements. Materials were saved and reused (hydraulic tiles, solid timber beams, prestressed beams, ceramic tiles, wooden doors, and more), and new ones had to be locally sourced and environmentally low-impact, such as biomass briquettes, laminated timber, larchwood joineries, lime mortar, and insulation prepared from recycled cotton. The imperfections of these elements make the building an honest expression of the construction process.

Both dwellings are duplex units, each with a single bedroom, and benefit from good cross ventilation. The layout of the spaces and the formal decisions made came from thorough familiarity with the advantages and limitations of the natural and thus more fragile materials. Their fragility was taken as a design opportunity.

PVC, polyurethane, petrol derivatives, and other toxic products are used as little as possible. All the paints and all the treatments done on the wood are ecological and free of lead and heavy metals.

This project is an example of sustainable architecture, where reuse of materials and use of local resources result in a respectful engagement with the environment and cultural heritage.