Spanish architecture studio CRÜ has remodelled an old public laundry into a house and studio for a couple in west Barcelona.

Called La Clara, the project in the district of Les Corts is shortlisted in the house renovation category of the Dezeen Awards 2023.

CRÜ has transformed a laundry into a home called La Clara

To reconfigure the old ground floor laundry into a home, CRÜ introduced a two-storey volume to the rear. Meanwhile, a studio space was created at the front of the plot.

These new volumes are positioned around two courtyards and a glazed corridor, which acts as a transitional space between the studio and the rest of the home.

A studio space is placed at the front of the site

CRÜ’s design for La Clara aims to connect to the history and memories associated with the old laundry by celebrating the “effervescent rawness” of the existing building fabric.

“All existing walls and stairs are undressed to show only the entrails, to recover the stench of soap and gossip,” said CRÜ.

Existing elements of the original building have been retained

“This aesthetic choice imparts a sense of continuity and rawness, reinforcing the project’s connection to the old laundry,” the studio continued.

A key aspect of CRÜ’s intervention was the positioning of the two central courtyards.

The larger courtyard separates the studio from the private house to the rear, while the smaller one draws light into the bedrooms.

“The central courtyards, or voids, are a key aspect of the design,” explained the studio. “[They offer] an innovative solution to provide natural light and ventilation to each room while visually and spatially separating public and private areas.”

Two courtyards feature inside

Inside, La Clara comprises an open-plan living and dining room and three bedrooms.

Trowelled concrete is used throughout the ground floor and teamed with exposed brick walls, concrete beams, white metal trusses and ducting.

Exposed brick walls and concrete beams characterise the interiors

A brick staircase tucked behind the kitchen cabinetry leads to the main bedroom on the upper storey. Clad in corrugated metal sheeting on its external facades, the room offers views into both courtyards.

CRÜ is a Spanish studio founded by Joan Astallé and Clàudia Raurell in 2014. Elsewhere in Barcelona, the studio created an apartment that combines different terracotta textures.

Other dwellings in Barcelona featured on Dezeen include a live-work home for a gallery owner in a former factory and an apartment divided with a 21-metre-long wooden wall.

The photography is by Adrià Goula.

The post CRÜ transforms public laundry into La Clara house in Barcelona appeared first on Dezeen.