Anna & Eugeni Bach have refurbished and extended a two-story house in Barcelona’s Sants district. The project transforms a modest home into a light-filled, flexible living environment. It demonstrates how natural materials and smart spatial strategies can improve the connection between architecture, landscape, and daily life.

Expanding through Subtraction

Instead of simply adding more volume, the architects rethought the home’s layout. The kitchen, once indoors, has been moved to a transparent, greenhouse-style extension in the garden. This choice freed space inside for a new living and dining area. Now, every communal space—living, dining, and cooking—has long views, natural daylight, and direct access to the patio. As a result, the interior feels more open, brighter, and better connected to the outdoors.

A Greenhouse of Wood and Glass

The new extension is a lightweight structure built from wood and glass. Like a modern greenhouse, it combines transparency with shelter. Thanks to the neighbouring buildings, the space benefits from shade, which prevents overheating while still allowing abundant daylight to enter. The glass façade also preserves the original brick arches. These historic elements now act as elegant thresholds between the renovated living area and the new garden pavilion.

In addition, the use of wood as a renewable material highlights the project’s sustainable approach. It shows how circular design strategies can be applied in small-scale housing projects.

Indoor–Outdoor Synergy

The design softens the boundary between inside and outside. The garden becomes another “room” of the house, where daily activities unfold under a mature ficus tree. Cooking, eating, and socialising now extend into this semi-open space. This approach encourages outdoor living, reduces the need for built floor space, and enhances wellbeing through contact with nature.

By choosing minimal intervention and lightweight construction, the architects avoided unnecessary demolition. This careful method ensures both sustainability and adaptability for future use.

Subtle Interventions Upstairs

On the upper floor, the changes were modest. The architects focused on reorganising furniture and making small updates. By contrast, they avoided heavy renovation work in areas where it was not needed. This strategy reduced waste while keeping the focus on essential improvements.

This Barcelona project shows how refurbishment can be an opportunity to rethink domestic life. It prioritises sustainability, fluid space, and the active role of gardens in contemporary living. The greenhouse extension proves how wood and glass can create adaptable, climate-sensitive environments. This is particularly relevant for architects, interior designers, and landscape architects aiming to design homes that are both sustainable and comfortable.

Source: Anna & Eugeni Bach
Photos: Eugeni Bach