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Project Details:

Location: Madrid, Spain

Footprint: 679 square feet

Architect: Bardo / @bardo.arq

Builder: Nuevo Hábitat

Structural Engineer: Fast&Furious Office

Photographer: Germán Saiz

From the Architect: “This renovation project in Madrid was quite an unusual case. Poorly planned construction had left the roof on the verge of collapse. We proposed adding a second floor that would solve the structural issues while also creating a new livable space.

“The biggest challenge was designing a roof that could function as a large inhabitable truss. It had to be lightweight so as not to overload the structure, but also strong. Together with our structural engineer, Manuel Ocaña, we arrived at a highly precise solution: a lightweight tubular structure with anchor points distributed across the entire surface. By atomizing the supports, we avoided stress concentrations and gained rigidity, as if stitching the roof together. The result was a structure that is both solid and light, while also adding a new space to rest and unwind without compromising the home’s stability.

“The structure evokes a sense of weightlessness, like a kite floating in the air. That idea guided all of the material choices. Upstairs, we used sky blues and luminous creams to enhance the feeling of lightness. Downstairs, deeper, heavier tones—dark blues, wood, terra-cotta—visually anchored the space. In between, we introduced cool, reflective materials like mirrors, glass bricks, and steel to amplify the light and accentuate the sensation of a house that floats.”