Sister houses
These two houses in Madrid are not the same, but they share DNA with elegance, warmth and naturalness: ACCOYA® sustainable wood
This project by the Arenas Basabe Palacios architectural studio is a commission from two sisters who wanted to live close to each other, but each in their own home with their respective families.
The analogy with family ties goes even further: like siblings, even twins, people can look similar but they are never the same. Similarly, these two houses have a similar aesthetic and functional starting point (in fact the original project does not contemplate one without the other), but each of then has its own personality.
Almost the same, but with their own style
The structures of the two houses are practically clones. On the ground floor, a system of white concrete walls sets out the different rooms, including gardens and games patios.
Sisters Houses Proyect | Arch: Arenas Basabe Palacios | Product: Accoya®
The most distinguished component of the façade, at least at first glance, is the design of the first floor, where the shared choice of open plan is undertaken while maintaining an explicitly different personality in each house.
Sisters Houses Proyect | Arch: Arenas Basabe Palacios | Product: Accoya®
ACCOYA® natural wood for the exterior
ACCOYA® sustainable wood is a hallmark of this project. One of the houses uses ACCOYA® on the exterior at the front, providing warmth to the window frames.
Sisters Houses Proyect | Arch: Arenas Basabe Palacios | Product: Accoya®
ACCOYA® wood is an essential building material for architects seeking sustainability in their projects. This high-performance wood is achieved with an acetylation process that modifies the cell structure of the wood, improving its technical properties.
It is important to note that acetylation is a process carried out without toxic substances. It could be summarised as “pickling the wood”, which prevents the wood cells absorbing water, resulting in lasting, resistant wood, capable of tolerating any finish.
Sisters Houses Proyect | Arch: Arenas Basabe Palacios | Product: Accoya®
50-year written guarantee
In addition to the full guarantee that it is an ecological product thanks to its sustainability certifications (FSC and PEFC), ACCOYA® has a written 50-year guarantee.
A great advantage for architects, who can aspire to sustainable projects without renouncing creativity in their designs or the warmth and beauty of natural wood.
PROJECT FILE
- Architects: Enrique Arenas, Luis Basabe, Luis Palacios
- Collaborators: Lucía Leva, Lidia Fernández, Andreas Benéitez, María Amigo, María Ángeles Peñalver
- Building engineer: Yolanda García
- Construction company: ECAY Construcciones
- ACCOYA® distributor: GRUPO GÁMIZ
- Carpentry: Marcos Magnasco
- Surface area: 830 m2
- Location: Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid
- Customer: Private
- Year: 2018
- Photography: Imagen Subliminal (Miguel de Guzmán + Rocío Romero)
