RESTORATION OF FARMHOUSES IN MONT-RAS

This is the project for the renovation and consolidation of the farmhouses Cal Carreter (1888) and Can Fidel (1900) for constructing a single-family house with a workshop and a garage. The proposal involves the complete refurbishment of Cal Carreter and the demolition of constructions which have been built for agricultural activity, and has consequently distorted the original volumetry and composition of the farmhouse. The renovation is not only motivated by architectural reasons, but also by its relevance for the landscape and local history

The project recovers the original façade of the Cal Carreter farmhouse, facing west and connected to the plot's access. The adjoining volume is partially demolished to generate a space that is organised under the concept of an internal square, a meeting point outside. This process enhances the newly renovated façade and restores some of the prominence it has lost over time.

The proposal preserves the original volume of the building with cladding, materials, finishes and façade composition that are respectful of the pre-existing features. The northern limit of the volumes is also maintained as they are constructive elements that protect the house from the northerly wind, while also creating small openings that give quality to the interior spaces and providing necessary measures of habitability and healthiness. It is on the southern façade where, while maintaining the urban planning regulations, a system of vertical openings is generated that order and classify the volumes.

The house is developed in a compact construction of a ground floor and a first floor which are organised internally through a central space with a double height that gives light and order to the farmhouse. The ground floor is complemented with an open porch facing the south façade with an adjacent body that houses the garage on the ground floor and the workshop spaces on the first floor.

The free spaces of the estate around the farmhouse will be adapted to be used as a garden for the house, maintaining the natural characteristics of the current vegetation and enhancing the use of autochthonous species. A sheet of water will be created in this space to be used for bathing and/or irrigation. The project also envisages maintaining the cultivation of the field with dry grasses such as cereals and fodder, conserving and densifying the spontaneous and autochthonous species on the borders.