The Cartagena-based practice of Martín Lejarraga has turned a couple of palatial 19th-century buildings at Calle Duquesa 21, in Granada, into a university dormitory. All the while respecting heritage and pursuing an image of continuity, the intervention connects the two mansions by means of a gallery in between, renovates the different spaces, and incorporates rigorous standards of functional and energy efficiency.

The rooms and the auxiliary and service spaces have all been fully refurbished to adapt to current needs. The custom-designed furniture reinterprets the classical elements of the original buildings, addressing the requirements of the new program on the understanding that the complex is for collective use.