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San Pablo – URBANA

The project is located in a mid-century development of Río Piedras [San Juan]. The neighborhood, typical of upper middle class housing developments of the time, is composed of lots averaging 1,500 m2, with individually designed custom houses. The house sits on a corner parcel, defined by a local main-street on the south-east, and by a cul-de-sac on the north side.  more details and images after the jump

The residence, commissioned by a young family with two kids, initially started as a substantial remodeling-addition to a 1950’s house. But after the initial rehabilitation concepts proved economically unfeasible, it became a “new-house” project. The clients were particularly specific in describing their architectural intentions for the project: “…a structure that would evoke the clarity of mid-century Puertorrican modernism, with the charm and climatic responsiveness of their courtyarded, Moorish-styled, Old San Juan loft. Ironically, the initial design concept started by emulating the essence of the original house [as evidenced by the dominant horizontal rooflines, the use of ironwork as privacy/security/illumination screen, the location of the main structure installed on a pedestal, etc.]. Slowly, the project became one of reconsidering the “Spanish courtyard house” typology, itself an offspring of the Islamic influence on southern Spanish architecture, and an emblematic model of some of the early, native urbanización [development] projects in Puerto Rico like Villa Caparra, and Sagrado Corazón developments.

Concept and Precedents - Spanish revival Courtyard typology

Architects: URBANAJosé Fernando Vázquez-Pérez & Rafael Castro Montes de Oca
Location: Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Project Team: Carlos Cruz-Ortiz, Luis Cruz de la Paz, Yalmari Tirado-López, Miguel Moreno
Contractor: Sharp Construction, S.E.
Electrical Engineering: Carlos Requena, PE, Requena & Asociados
Structural Engineering: Carlos Lázaro-León, PE, Lázaro & Gandía Consultores
Mechanical Engineering: Francisco Maté, PE, Maté & Asociados
Project year: 2007-2009
Photographs: José Fernando Vázquez-Pérez

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