Conversion of a Barn into a Residential Building in Barcelona

H3o Architects took inspiration from an ancient legend to transform an old barn into a home. The building is part of a traditional Catalan farmhouse in Sant Just Desvern on the outskirts of Barcelona. The client, a historian, told the young architects about the Can Cardona lightning strike, in which a bolt of lightning passed through the chimney of a farmhouse but spared the occupants. At his request, the natural phenomenon is now used as an architectural reference throughout the 55 m² house. It can be found in various places and transforms the old barn into an expressive and playful refuge.

A dynamic clash of geometry and colour between the living room and bedroom, © José Hevia

The pitched roof of the old barn was left visible, but is now painted white. It provides a neutral canvas for the new fixtures and fittings. In addition, the architects used expressive colours to highlight various elements, such as the floor-to-ceiling doors, the epoxy resin floors and the plasterboard walls. The latter create a new spatial zoning and are folded in a zigzag pattern. The whole creates a sculptural force that is not monumental, but rather light and almost fluid, in keeping with the lightning reference. The unconventional concept is most evident in the yellow pendant lamp, which shoots through the room as a multiple bent design object.

The bathroom looks like an expressive sculpture. © José Hevia

The design extends into the dark blue bathroom, where shard-shaped wall mirrors surround a washbasin. Different areas are defined by a main colour, from the white living and dining room to the pink bedroom. Furniture is placed at an angle in the room to match the overall dynamic. Although the lightning house looks like a sculpture, it has its own kind of cosiness. This is also due to the loving details, such as the pebbles that have been repurposed as door handles. If you look closely, you can see the historical reference from the outside: the lightning bolt is literally driven into the fireplace as a decorative element.