Green House: A Mediterranean Oasis in the Heart of Barcelona

Nestled in the dense fabric of Barcelona’s Sants neighbourhood, Green House by Anna & Eugeni Bach reinterprets the dialogue between dwelling and nature. The project refurbishes and extends a two-story residence, transforming its modest garden into a true living space—an “outdoor room” where cooking, dining, and relaxation merge beneath the canopy of a mature ficus tree. Here, the Mediterranean lifestyle is distilled into its essence: light, shade, and conviviality.

Green House, a Spatial Recalibration that Ensures Visual Connections

Rather than simply enlarging the house, the architects inverted the logic of expansion. The kitchen, once enclosed, is moved outdoors, freeing interior space for a new living and dining area that opens directly onto the garden. This spatial recalibration ensures long visual connections across the ground floor, allowing each function to remain visually and physically connected to the patio. The result is a plan that feels open and continuous, yet grounded in the home’s original footprint.

The new extension takes the form of a wooden and glass structure, reminiscent of a greenhouse. Protected from excessive solar gain by the shade of neighbouring buildings, the addition introduces a luminous buffer between house and garden. Its lightweight character allows daylight to permeate deep into the existing interior, while the glass enclosure maintains a constant sense of connection with the exterior.

Dialogue between Existing and New

By detaching the new façade from the original property line, the architects liberated the two existing arches that once framed the interior. These now act as thresholds between the living-dining area and the new gallery, accommodating the kitchen and the study.

Small shifts in the façade geometry create subtle expansions in zones of activity, optimising space both indoors and out. Minimal interventions on the upper level preserve the home’s domestic character, with only selective adjustments to furniture and layout.

Balancing precision and informality, Green House captures the spirit of Mediterranean living through architectural restraint. With a light timber frame, generous glazing, and a sensitive approach to material and light, Anna & Eugeni Bach craft a contemporary domestic landscape where architecture, climate, and everyday life coexist in quiet harmony.

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