DTR_studio Architects Central Office: A Sensitive Renovation in Granada’s Ciudad Jardín

After two decades in their former headquarters in Realejo, DTR_studio architects made a bold decision to relocate and completely transform a mid-20th-century terraced house into their new central office. This architectural renovation, completed in 2022, reinvents a 1960s protected housing typology into a functional, adaptable, and energy-efficient workspace in the Ciudad Jardín de los Vergeles neighborhood of Granada, Spain.

A New Chapter in a Historic Context

Departing from a duplex on the historic Mauror Hill, the architects transitioned to a two-story terraced home that typifies the rationalist architecture of its era—complete with load-bearing brick walls, a curved entrance, a covered porch, and a brick-vaulted staircase. Located on Calle Violetas, a semi-private street with a primarily residential character, the building’s setting subtly balances commercial potential with neighborhood integration.

Reviving Original Values Through Subtraction and Contrast

The renovation strategy prioritized recovering the original architectural identity while addressing years of fragmented interventions. The team emphasized simplicity in materials and construction methods, aiming to restore the home's spatial clarity and highlight its period-specific materiality.

The key design intentions included:

1. Restoring the patio’s original scale to bring in more light and spatial coherence.
2. Removing interior partitions to achieve open, flexible working spaces.
3. Revealing the authentic construction of brick, concrete, and vaults as expressive features.
4. Introducing new textures and finishes to create a visual dialogue between old and new.
5. Enhancing energy performance through a redesigned façade and passive solar strategies.

Spatial Program: Public Meets Private

The ground floor, with direct street access, hosts the public functions of the office—designed with movable shelving systems to support various configurations, from meetings to exhibitions. Above, the upper floor houses the workspace, benefiting from better sunlight, privacy, and custom-designed furniture tailored to the building’s dimensions.

An external balcony with wooden louvers introduces an intermediate climatic layer, filtering summer sunlight and providing a meditative break space for the team—blurring the boundary between indoors and outdoors.

Crafting a Responsive Office for Contemporary Practice

By maintaining the spatial rhythm and modest scale of the original architecture, DTR_studio architects have achieved a sensitive balance between preservation and innovation. The intervention stands as a case study in sustainable architectural renovation, demonstrating how adaptive reuse and contextual design can contribute to a studio environment that is both inspirational and efficient.

All Photographs are works of Cris Beltran