Nested house
Occupying a corner plot in Torrefiel -one of Valencia’s most humble neighborhoods- the Nest House is conceived as an exercise in protecting and highlighting the scarce and valuable built heritage still preserved in the streets of this key peripheral district in the city's north.
Indeed, although code regulations allowed us to demolish the existing structure and build a new, the project insisted from the very beginning on preserving the original envelope and seeking shelter within it. It is as if that skin -made of solid brick and lime mortar, held intact over the years- had now become the foundation (or perhaps the nest) for a new, emergent architecture that rises from within.
In this way, the work -distilled into a single, pure, and elemental volume- finds its most vital element inside: the courtyard. A regular and perfect void at the back of the plot, it carves out the built mass and serves as the great backdrop for the entire project. This is made possible by a monumental window, nearly seven meters high, which bathes every room in light, ventilation, and views.
Beyond this point, a single stair core -positioned at the center of the home- suffices to connect the two levels, naturally integrating the service areas around it. This space is intentionally narrow and inward-looking, crafted in limestone, leading us to the most private area of the house: the open-plan room on the first floor.
A space for both living and study, it features a prominent skylight through which a constant, gentle breeze flows, capturing -like a canvas- the movement of the sun across the surfaces of the home.
