Mila House / Isla Architects

Architects: Isla Architects
Area: 2,809 ft²
Year: 2024
Manufacturers: AutoDesk, BANDALUX, FSB Franz Schneider Brakel, Cocinart, FARO Barcelona, Hager, Huguet, ICONICO, Ladrillerias Mallorquinas, Robert McNeel & Associates
Lead Architects: Marta Colón de Carvajal Salís & Juan Palencia de Sarriá (isla)
Team: Cristina Gutiérrez Chevalier, Chiara Lieberman, Silvia Fernández
Surveyor: Jaume Roselló Alomar
Builder: Burmir Picapedrer SL
Drywall: Galicia Proyecci
Carpenter: Fustería Migjorn
Electricity: BT Instal.lacions
Plumbing: Fontanería Bordoy
Country: Spain

The mid-terrace home renovation designed by unlisted architects has transformed a formerly constrained site in an urban block through the acquisition of an adjacent strip of land, introducing new spatial and lighting possibilities. The narrow 25-meter-long, 2.5-meter-wide plot—built edge-to-edge—enabled the creation of a central courtyard, anchoring the project’s strategy for light and ventilation. Completed by 2025, the reconfiguration included a variety of window and door mechanisms—sliding, pivoting, arched, and liftable—turning the design into a study of permeability and domestic openness. In the main house, the existing garage was adapted into a living room facing the alley, while interior spaces were restructured to support new relationships with the courtyard. A kitchen now opens directly onto this space, and vertical circulation was added to interconnect stacked bedrooms and a light-filled playroom. In the adjacent elongated volume, referred to as the llonganissa, a compact guest house and garage-studio were inserted. The ground floor opens fully to the courtyard with a kitchen doubling as a chiringuito, while the upper floor holds a double-height bedroom and linear bathroom. Material strategy relied on lime mortar in two textures, green-painted carpentry, and a custom Palladian floor featuring irregular tile compositions developed specifically for the project.

The idea of renovating a mid-terrace home, positioned between a narrow street and an alley, shifted significantly when the adjacent plot became available. The site, a long and narrow strip measuring 25 meters by 2.5 meters, built edge-to-edge, opened the possibility for a new courtyard and reoriented the design toward a full exploration of light. This transformation led to the integration of various light-filtering solutions, including sliding windows flush with the façade, both vertical and horizontal pivoting panels, arched French doors, circular skylights, guillotine windows, and liftable panes.

Inside the main house, spaces were reorganized to respond to the new spatial conditions. The original garage was transformed into a living room facing the alley. The kitchen was relocated to connect with the newly introduced courtyard. A large playroom, lit from above, was added on the first floor. The bathroom was moved to align with the rear façade and now opens onto an intermediate terrace, while the bedrooms were stacked vertically and linked through new staircases.

Within the elongated adjacent plot—referred to as the llonganissa—a compact guest house was created using the full width of the structure. The elevation facing the courtyard was fully opened to accommodate a kitchen that doubles as a chiringuito, featuring a liftable window. Above, the double-height interior hosts a bedroom, while the southern end contains a linear bathroom organized between the stairwell and the corridor. At the northern end of the courtyard, a garage-studio completes the configuration.

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The material palette was reduced to three essential elements: lime mortar—smooth and white indoors, textured and earthy on the façades—green-painted carpentry, and a custom Palladian-style floor. The floor, developed locally and specifically for the project, features subtly irregular and offset tiles, bringing cohesion and distinction to both dwellings.