Argentinian designer Analía Espiga and art director Julián Romera had been looking to move for some time, yet the kind of property they wanted seemed elusive: a place right in the middle of Buenos Aires that had weekend-home vibes, space for his-and-hers offices, and a sensible price tag.

They sometimes wondered if their wish list was attainable. Then, their school-aged son, Félix, began playing sports in a neighborhood called Agronomía, an off-the-radar, quiet area some 30 minutes away from trendier destinations like Palermo or Villa Crespo. “While looking for parking near the sports club my son went to, the neighborhood came into focus,” says Julián, who works on films and commercials. “It’s one of the last remaining pockets of low-lying houses, full of greenery thanks to Agronomía Park and the university of agricultural sciences.”

Soon enough, they saw a for-sale sign outside a modest one-story house built sometime in the early 20th century. Although it wasn’t architecturally significant, the home had a nice set of patios and a traditional bovedilla ceiling, consisting of rows of lightly arched brick vaults between metal beams. And the price was right, leaving enough in their budget for a renovation.

The couple hired architects Carlos Cottet and Victoria Iachetti of Cottet Iachetti Arquitectos, who agreed the property had great potential. “The nicest space in the existing house was the central area with the bovedilla, so we decided to keep that and build everything else around it,” says Iachetti.

From the outset, Julián and Analía mentioned they wanted to preserve the patios, create two distinct workspaces, and make the kitchen the heart of the home.

Given the property’s compact footprint (75 by 23 feet), achieving these goals meant building a second story. With a new level, the architects doubled the interior square footage and reimagined the home’s flow. They also repurposed materials like wooden floors and beams, now seen in the upstairs bedrooms and some custom furnishings.

Underneath the old bovedilla, they designed a generous open kitchen whose centerpiece is a combined island and dining table made with the aforementioned salvaged wood and a partial granite top. A set of vintage wood-framed glass doors—original to the house—open to an interior patio. Behind the kitchen is a newly built living room with a glass wall overlooking the back patio, now featuring a small swimming pool.

Analía’s furniture design practice involves moving large pieces in and out of her workspace, so her studio was placed right at the front of the house, in what used to be a garage. Julián’s office is upstairs, tucked away from household activities, and set a few steps lower than the rest of that level, which holds Félix’s room and a primary suite.

Light was of particular importance to the architects, who studied the placement, shape, and size of windows and other openings, sometimes setting windows flush with the exterior to create deep interior reveals, other times aligning them with the inner wall plane. “It’s like a play or dialogue tied to the thick, white walls that characterize this house,” says Cottet.

While both Julián and Analia are design savvy, they were surprised, in the best possible way, by the architects’ consideration of light.

“They decided to put a window in the en suite bathroom, and at first I wasn’t sure about it,” says Julian. “Then I realized that in the morning, this incredible sunlight comes in, and that same sun travels through the entire ground floor in the afternoon. Now that is a luxury.”

For the couple, the finished home is more than the fulfillment of a long-held wish. “When we moved in, it felt like we had lived here all our lives,” says Analía. “It’s a home with great comfort that gives us a strong sense of belonging.” Julián agrees: “The feeling we had was ‘this is what we wanted.’ We never felt it was foreign; it was easy to make it our own from day one.”

Related Reading:

How They Pulled It Off: A House Built Into a Hill

One of Argentina’s First Passive Houses Stands Tall Above Rising Tides

An Architect’s Home Overflows With Greenery—With No White Walls in Sight

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Cottet Iachetti Arquitectos / @cottetiachetti

Builder/General Contractor: Agustín Martedi, Tekne Construcciones / @agusmartedi

Structural Engineer: Rodrigo Saura

Landscape Design: Gustavo Barreiro / @aldeaceltapaisajismo

Lighting Design: IMDI & Luminarias Urbanas

Interior Design: Cottet Iachetti Arquitectos & Estudio Analía Espiga / @di.analiaespiga

Cabinetry Design/Installation: Cottet Iachetti Arquitectos & Estudio Analía Espiga

Construction Executive Direction: Santiago Carrera & Cottet Iachetti Arquitectos