Ignacio Morente bought a dilapidated warehouse and, with help from family and friends, he built his dream home, complete with an underground bedroom and a buried Roman bath. He had come to Barcelona as a teen playing semi-pro tennis, but an injury had caused him to pivot to architecture.
source.image: Kirsten Dirksen
His goal was to create a unique home blending ancient and contemporary aspects in a timeless way. He had noticed a derelict century-old warehouse in the Barcelona-area town where he had been training for tennis, so he decided to transform it into a 4-level oasis home that blends open space and a concealed underground living while preserving as much as possible of the old granary.
source.image: Kirsten Dirksen
Ignacio is still finishing the place he now calls home with the help of his wife Eva Romero, hoping to add more elements as everyday use tells them what they need and plants take over the planters, both indoors and in the back—right where the low windows open to the Roman-style bath underneath the floor level.
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With a constrained budget, the kitchen and downstairs (what they need for everyday living) became their priority during the first stage of their project. The upper levels are still a work in progress —they want to find out what they need before cramping up the spaces with things they don’t need or wouldn’t be used.
The underground living space has already become their bioclimatic refuge for days that are either very hot or cold, and friends celebrate their boldness when they visit.
