STEEL PROTO-HOUSE
[SITE] Olot, Catalonia, Spain
[COMPLETION DATE] February 28, 2018
[ABSTRACT] The Steel Proto-House is a philosophical analysis of what it would mean to integrate concepts of primitive and unorthodox means of living in a contemporary residential context. For two weeks, I lived in a 16th century Masia in Olot, Spain under the guidance of Pritzker Prize winning firm RCR Arquitectes. My time spent hiking through the volcanic mountain range, cooking meals by the heat of a fireplace opened my mind to distinguish what humans truly need to live when the luxury of modern comfort isn’t accessible. My perception of architecture then became about reinventing habits at home and testing how space changes the means by which we behave or inhabit. The project derives programmatic concepts from human necessity and invents solutions to daily mundane tasks in an effort to reconnect the human with himself and his environment.
EATING: In a triple story hearth which provides heat for the floor above. Ingredients are collected from the upside-down vegetable garden and the in-ground garden, both which are watered by the shower above. A hidden dining table, flush with the floor when unused, hydraulically lifts to meet the seat created by the step to the garden. Eating now becomes aesthetic and access to spices and herbs is created.
BATHING: Steel slits in the ground give the shower water access to the garden’s watering cistern. The mechanically- powered shower head is designed to operate like a farm irrigation system and can move laterally to reach all of the vegetables. The shower head can also be set to a second setting in which the machine stays fixed in its location and rotates quickly to distribute water to different plants.
LIVING: Sleeping and relaxing are programatically separated into different experiences.The Mobile Wall is a light weight, hollow structure that can swing by push or pull into the floor above to act as a ceiling or floor. When down, it acts as a wall with a built-in ladder to allow individuals to climb into the next story. The ladder is designed with collapsible steps that fold into a flush surface
