Daroca Arquitectos Transforms El Cercado into a Breathtaking Rural Haven

The existing building, dating from 1920, was in a state of disrepair due to its abandonment. It was a house consisting of three parallel bays, with load-bearing walls spanning between 3.5m and 4.5m. The oldest bay to the east was covered with ceramic tile, with a chimney and wooden pairs in good condition. The westernmost bay was of poorer construction quality, with the intermediate slabs of the second floor being deteriorated. Initially, the plan was to restore the existing building to its traditional single-family house state, with the replacement of floors and roofs, as well as underpinning of foundations and new structural elements. However, due to the technical and economic difficulties, as well as the structural danger it entailed, a different concept was adopted. This involved inverting the uses, with the most immediate action being to support the walls and roofs of the existing building. The new house, a single-storey U-shaped building, embraced the old building from the west and provided structural consolidation through strapping and footings. The old rooms became the free spaces or courtyards of the new house. The walls were maintained and braced, with some roofs being demolished and others restored. The classic image of the farmhouses of Andalusia was established through the combination of white walls with few openings, and the inclined planes of ceramic tile, wooden pergolas, and whitewashed walls.