This reminds me of ad hoc NYC loft spaces in the ’90s, where we built interior structures and partitions to make industrial spaces livable. Spain-based architecture firm Atienza Maure was tasked with renovating an old warehouse in Sant Adrià de Besòs, a municipality outside of Barcelona. The idea was to turn it into a live/work space.
The project began with a 1:1 prototype—a structural module assembled on-site to test the stability and behavior of the system. Built with slotted galvanized steel profiles and post-tensed tramex panels, with threaded rods, the mock-up allowed us to refine connections and test the structural stability of the proposal.
The structure was conceived as a reusable system made from cheap industrialized, lightweight components. The system is intended for easy on-site assembly and disassembly, allowing these elements to be fully dismantled and reused somewhere else.
Functioning as buffer zones between the domestic and office areas, the resting platforms are elevated structures that mediate the transition between both worlds.
Each platform is accessible from two different staircases, allowing movement from either side of the program. This dual access supports programmatic adaptability: a guest room can become a workspace, a reading nook can host informal meetings—spaces shift functionally without needing to be redefined.
To realize the project, Atienza Maure collaborated with realty company Giagchico and artist Abel Iglesias.