Villa SOFIA by nm+a: A Sensitive Colonial House Renovation in Colombia’s Highlands

A Legacy Preserved through Colonial House Renovation in Colombia

Nestled in the scenic highlands of eastern Antioquia, Villa SOFIA by nm+a | T | L | nestor medina arquitectura is a remarkable example of a colonial house renovation in Colombia that blends memory, tradition, and contemporary living. Completed in 2021 and spanning 332 m², the project reflects a thoughtful architectural intervention that seeks to preserve family heritage while adapting to evolving ways of life.

This residential design emerges from a deep emotional and historical connection to place, with the renovation centered on conserving the original home—once the house of the client’s grandparents—while introducing a new structure that respectfully dialogues with the past.

Memory, Identity, and Resistance to Speculative Development

Villa SOFIA resists the surge of speculative, ostentatious construction in Llano Grande by rooting itself in local identity. Rather than demolishing the original colonial house, the project honors it, recognizing the emotional and cultural significance held by its long-standing presence. The design embraces the typological and material traditions of the paisa colonial style, reinterpreting them to accommodate contemporary needs.

The existing house, characterized by a hipped clay tile roof, deep eaves, and thick walls with minimal openings, retains its position as the heart of family life. It continues to serve as the communal core—housing the kitchen, living, dining, and service areas—while a new volume provides private bedrooms, bathrooms, and a family study.

A Dialogue Between Old and New

The two distinct architectural bodies are thoughtfully connected through subtle spatial transitions. Instead of physical contact, they are linked by projected eaves of matching materials, creating a narrow open-air threshold that serves as a symbolic and functional passage. This respectful separation preserves the identity of both volumes while allowing for interaction and flow between them.

The new structure mirrors the silhouette of the original, a gesture that pays homage to the past while reducing elements like the extended eaves to reflect their current use. A new central courtyard enhances natural light and spatial fluidity, bringing in nature while maintaining a sense of privacy. The architectural language remains quiet and reserved, adapting the rhythm of traditional colonial openings and infusing them with contemporary transparency and flexibility.

Adapting Tradition to Contemporary Life

This colonial house renovation in Colombia is not a simple restoration but a layered reinterpretation. The new construction redefines typological norms by integrating unexpected modern features, such as upper volumes made entirely of glass. These elements are deliberately foreign, signaling a new phase in the family's life—offering panoramic views of the surrounding landscape and elevating the domestic experience.

The interplay between solid tradition and open, light-filled additions underlines the philosophy of the project: life changes, and architecture should respond. These glass volumes, while striking in contrast, are harmonious in intent—introducing new spatial dimensions while allowing the original structure to remain the anchor of the composition.

Architecture for Change and Continuity

Villa SOFIA is more than a residence—it is a living archive of generational memory. Its design proposes an architecture capable of transformation, adapting across time and responding to shifting family structures and ways of life. Rather than freezing a historic typology in time, the project embraces continuity through evolution.

All photographs are works of Julián Medina