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> A Guy, a Bulldog, an Edible Garden, and the Home They Share

Madrid, Spain
2018


This is the refurbishment project of the 46 sqm flat of a young doctor and his bulldog. Although the original design had a double east-west orientation, most of the cross-ventilation was blocked by several interior walls, which meant that the apartment layout didn’t allow for an adequate airflow. Providing thermal comfort and heat relief, both for the owner and his pet, was a key aspect to consider in the new design - bulldogs are a delicate breed, and they are particularly sensitive to heat. Thus, the interior was redistributed to create a kitchen-living-dining room space that is open to both east and west, improving air circulation.















Furthermore, a vertical edible garden was added to the west-facing balcony. The vegetation helps prevent overheating in the summer months, and generally functions as a thermal cushion. An irrigation system using recycled water from the shower was also added to the design. Forming a microlandscape of tubes and filters, it makes the recycling process visible and didactic. The system design was conceived as an alternative prototype: a new object of desire in a hypothetically sustainable era.

The project explores new climatic possibilities in the home, which are built around new, post-heteronormative masculinities and expanded forms of transspecies community. For instance, the multi-purpose capsule, that is intimate and social, and the adjacent cotton islands for the dog, resignify the normative uses of the living room, creating a particular relational space, and the edible garden encourages the weaving of social relationships between the owner and his neighbours.













































Team: Camilo García and Diego Barajas with Francesca Beltrame, Agustina Zaratiegui, Álvaro Heredia, Estafanía Roiko, Giulia Poma, and Wiktoria Stepien / Construction: Husos (general coordination), Verticales formé (carpentry), Atipical (building, installations, and other tasks) / Consulting on horticulture and watering system: Nuria Preciado (agronomist), Antonio Gámiz (agronomist), César Nunes, Julián Pérez, Chema Blanco / Structural consulting: Mecanismo / English text revision: Medina Whiteman / Photography: José Hevia.