London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jul 06, 2025

An Old Brick House in Spain Becomes a Light-Filled Family Home

An Old Brick House in Spain Becomes a Light-Filled Family Home

The renovation by miniArquitectura keeps the home’s charm intact, but creates opened-up spaces with a material palette to match.

After purchasing a Valencian orchard house-known regionally as a barraca-a young family contacted local architecture firm miniArquitectura to turn it into their dream home. As it was, the structure, which is situated on a street lined with pine trees in the town of Godella, had a number of charming features. But the interiors, and particularly the bedrooms, were quite dark.



The brief was to give it an update to accommodate modern family living, and to introduce a lofted study area that respected the character of the original home.

"Thus began our challenge to achieve maximum brightness, open spaces, and a large work area with natural light and ventilation, all while maintaining the original structure and distribution of the house," says architect Yoana Ibáñez.



The original home reflected regional vernacular: a symmetrical structure with a wide door at the entrance that led to a central hallway; bedrooms flanking either side; and a living space with a fireplace and a kitchen at the rear. There was also a porch space and garden at the back.



Since being built, a previous owner had added an extension to create an internal courtyard that separated the kitchen and dining room from the rest of the home. However, it had been carried out with low-quality materials, and had little architectural merit.



Responding to the client’s brief, the architects emphasized the central hallway by introducing more light and ventilation. They also took advantage of extra space under the roof by creating a lofted area that can be reached via a timber stair.



At the top of the stair is now an impressive hall with a double-height ceiling that forms the backbone of the house. At the rear of the ground floor, the kitchen opens out to the home’s public spaces, the dining room and a garden.



The previous extension was demolished and a new one was built, allowing the dining room and kitchen to be reconnected with the home. This new extension features a sloping roof, and clerestories and arched windows that bring in natural light and views of surrounding pine trees. Throughout, the windows feature white lacquered aluminum frames that evoke the old wooden ones. "I like that both the sky and the green of the exterior are present at all times inside the house," says Ibáñez.



Many of the materials from the original home were reused in the renovation, and the new elements are inspired by the quality and nature of the traditional materiality-think iron railings and structures, lime mortar, clay floors, and pine timber joists. The original floor tiles were removed to install underfloor heating before being polished and reused in the main living area. The home’s solid structure was left exposed. "We were seduced by their appearance and their constructive romanticism made us seek to preserve these noble materials," explains Ibáñez.



By mixing the semi-industrial structural elements-such as brick, timber boards, and white lacquered aluminum-with more classic finishes, the home is imbued with a welcoming and familiar atmosphere. There is a similar sensitivity in the relationship between the existing volumes and the extension, which uses the same materiality and language. For example, the old brick party wall has been extended, and the new ceiling features exposed joists that echo those of the original home.



Floor plan of Traditional House in Valencia.



Floor plan of Traditional House in Valencia.




Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×