Barranco del Abogado, Granada, Espanha
The uniqueness of the terrain, narrow and conjugated by a slope of approximately 70%, has become the great challenge of this project. In addition to inevitably enhancing the magnificent views, it created numerous stimuli resulting in a proposal consisting of several bodies that come together in a single house, articulated by patios and gardens, historically used in the neighborhood.
The result presents, from the point of view of implantation, a zigzag shape: at the upper end it presents a cantilevered volume, taking advantage of the topography; at the lower end and in line with the adjoining buildings, another smaller volume, as if excavated in the earth. A bold staircase and elevator, establish the connection between these two volumes.
Reinforced concrete slabs and walls were proposed to ensure stability and hardness of the building.
Given their distribution and orientation, they were able to work only with efforts in their plan, obtaining thicknesses in the order of 20-25cm, with obvious advantages for the adequacy of spaces in the Architecture project. The slabs were also proposed in solid reinforced concrete.
Two types of foundations were used: direct and indirect. In the lower parts of the building, foundations with a thickness of 35 cm were proposed, interconnected by foundation beams; micro-piles were proposed in areas of great need to absorb horizontal stresses and / or traction, or because of the need to use light machinery (given the strong slope of the terrain and the narrow space of the terraces).
For the execution of the excavation, a peripheral containment of the “Berlin” type was foreseen.