Cork House is a minimalist residence in Madrid, Spain, designed by EME157. A Madrid residence built in the 1990s has received a modern update from architects who focus on incorporating the surrounding natural landscape into the design. The original house was built of red brick and salmon-colored mortar, with a four-pitched roof, including a double-height sloping porch and two outbuildings. IN ORDER TO SEAMLESSLY BLEND THE STRUCTURE WITH THE SURROUNDING PINE TREES, THE ARCHITECTS DECIDED TO COVER ONLY THE EXTERIOR WALLS OF CUBIC HOUSES WITH CORK. CORK HAS SIMILAR PROPERTIES TO STONE BRICKS, BUT WARMER AND LIGHTER IN APPEARANCE.

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In order to maximize the collection of solar energy, the architects created different openings on each elevation. The concrete benches along the southern elevation serve as storage space, visually blurring the boundaries of the cube, while the interior incorporates few materials such as polished concrete floors, wooden tables and benches, stainless steel and white laminate in the kitchen, and showers and bathtubs. A sliding cork door divides the house into two sides. The first consists of the lobby, stairs, kitchen and service bedroom, while the other side is a single room with four columns and double high ceilings, dividing the floor into six pixels. Sliding cork doors can create different relationships between service spaces based on time of day and demand.

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A glass-enclosed passageway on one side of the cube leads to the old garage, which has been converted into a multi-purpose room. Upstairs there is a lobby, which serves as a study, study, reading and lounge, with access to the master bedroom through the dressing room. The bedroom of the two daughters also has a shared bathroom. Outside, the landscaped makeover preserves the original grass and pine trees, while extending to a lower platform dedicated to the swimming pool. Extending to the exterior, the internal grid forms four more image boundaries, some covered and others uncovered, surrounded by concrete benches and brick walls.

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