Behind the Building: Atrium House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos

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Despite its location in an urban area, the Atrium House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos is a shockingly private oasis, which boasts incalculable levels of spaciousness and access to the outdoors. Understood by the architects as a continuum and extension of the sloped landscape on which it rests, the structure was intentionally erected along the southern and western boundaries of the land parcel. In turn, this created a massive atrium with distant views of the stunning Sierra Calderona in Spain.

For the design and construction of Atrium House, materiality played an absolutely crucial role. Windows and doors were carefully selected so that residents could overlook light reflecting on the water from the master bedroom; special attention was also paid to illuminating the design so that it could feel equally indulgent at all hours of the day. Inspired by the precision that plays into every detail of Fran Silvestre Arquitectos designs, we explore the manufacturers that made this work possible:

Energy Efficient Façade

Manufactured by Sate Vipal

To elevate many of their coveted all-white designs, Fran Silvestre Arquitectos partners with Sate Vipal — award-winning manufacturer of energy efficient building envelopes. Known for their incredible thermal insulation and water resistant properties, the Atrium House is defined — both aesthetically and functionally — by the cascading and uninterrupted appearance of the Sate Vipal façade. For a closer look into Fran Silvestre Arquitectos’ building envelopes, check out The Ultimate Anti-Material: Fran Silvestre on the Creation of Modern Stucco Masterpieces. 

Stone Tile

Manufactured by Thassos

At Atrium House, immaculate stone tiles line the floors of the entire design. While Vitrocsa’s sliding frameless doors draw attention to the perimeter of the house, Thassos’s expansive stone tiles create seamless connection between interior and exterior spaces and invite visitors and residents to make full use of the massive central atrium.

Sliding Glass Doors

Manufactured by Vitrocsa

For this project, Fran Silvestre Arquitectos worked with Vitrocsa — masterful manufacturers of frameless sliding doors — to tie the entire design together. Not only did this help achieve the architect’s goal of maximizing the feeling of spaciousness and expansive sight lines within the design, but the doors also facilitate seamless usage of the entire atrium, thus enhancing the building’s overall functionality.

Interior Doors

Manufactured by Ebanisteria Altabix

In addition to Vitrocsa’s sliding doors, the architects integrated doors by Spanish manufacturer Ebanisteria Altabix for interior applications. Despite their minimalist profiles, the doors used throughout the interior of the house incorporate various types of hinges, including traditional swinging doors and more expressive pivot systems, which create great complexity and diversity within the design.

Solid Surfaces

Manufactured by DuPont

When it comes to solid surface countertops, it’s difficult to surpass the impeccable and longstanding work of DuPont. As the first manufacturer to patent the material, many architects return to DuPont time and time again, to create immensely durable surfaces with minimalist design profiles. At Atrium House, Fran Silvestre Arquitectos chose this material for both kitchen and bathroom applications, which also helps to create unity with the project’s striking white building envelope.

Faucets

Manufactured by Duravit

To top off both the kitchen and the bathroom, the architects partnered with Duravit to incorporate minimalist geometric faucets. Using similar designs throughout all of the spaces, the architect draws your eye towards these finishes through the use of simplicity and clean lines.  

Linear Recessed Lighting

Manufactured by JUNG

Through the use of immaculate lighting within this design, Fran Silvestre Arquitectos carried out a notoriously a challenging task: create pristine luminous spaces without drawing attention towards the actual source. Linear recessed lighting illuminates each of the spaces and despite the unseen nature of the fixtures, each quarter is equally habitable by night as it is by day.

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