ID house and atelier Grau
The house and atelier of Irene Grau stand on the edge of the valley that frames Suevos, a small village close to Santiago de Compostela. Surrounded by trees and just a few hundred metres from the River Tambre, the astounding scenery conceals a secret: the ground offers no resistance in the first 6 to 9 metres. Lacking an obvious support, the buildings are the result of a long process of reduction guided by two main decisions.
Firstly, the use of metal posts as a foundation to avoid heavy machinery and minimise the impact of the structure on the ground. Secondly, a design that follows the logic of a lightweight construction system, both in terms of weight and environmental impact.
Lightness, then, is the main driver of this work. All the components of the building are removable, have a low carbon footprint and, with the exception of the metal posts, come from Galicia and Portugal. Together, these components shape a straightforward tectonics that suggests a connection with some vernacular buildings nearby, while advancing the agenda of environmentally responsive architecture.
This may be the most significant contribution of the project: to rethink the ways in which architecture defines its own context.
