In the residential neighborhood of La Cabaña, in Pozuelo de Alarcón, the studio Canobardin has crafted a singular work: a house that is also a studio—or a studio that becomes a house. This single-story building, partially embedded into the natural slope of the land, presents itself to the street as a quiet, double-height box. Yet beyond this façade unfolds an architecture that breathes privacy, balance, and sensitivity to its surroundings.
The House-Studio is composed of two clearly differentiated areas—the home and the studio—with entirely independent access points. This layout responds not only to programmatic intent but also to a well-defined spatial strategy: to guarantee intimacy without sacrificing the visual relationship with the garden or the connection between both functions.
Inside the studio, height and light are the protagonists. Two large asymmetrical windows flood the white volume with natural brightness, while carefully placed wood elements bring the warmth needed. The language is essential—free of ornamentation—but marked by meticulous attention to detail.
The house has its own entrance: a landscaped patio offers a welcoming, serene, almost meditative atmosphere. On one side, the bedrooms are sheltered behind thick load-bearing walls that provide both thermal and emotional insulation. On the other, the kitchen and living room open generously to the outdoors. Here, a polygonal room with a roof supported by slender metal pillars breaks from volumetric rigidity and explores new ways of inhabiting: light, color palette, and geometry come together to shape a vibrant space in direct contact with the garden and pool.
Technical subtlety and environmental responsibility complete the project: interior roller shutters, a hemp-rope vegetal lattice, aerothermal heating and cooling underfoot, concealed solar panels, and a cistern that collects rainwater for irrigation. Nothing is superfluous. Everything is conceived to last, to be lived in, and to be maintained with ease. In the words of the architects: “A refuge where one can enjoy family, nature, and the passage of the seasons, while adapting to everyone’s daily needs.”
Project: Casa-Estudio Canobardin
Location: La Cabaña, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid
Year: 2024
Architecture: Canobardin (Julio Cano + Bárbara Bardin).
Collaborators: María Barreu Arnal (arquitectura).
Structures: Ignacio Isasi Zaragozá.
Systems: Lorenzo Sánchez del Campo.
Plot: 800 m².
Built area: 180 m².
Photography: Imagen Subliminal (Miguel de Guzmán + Rocío Romero).
Collaborators: Woodwork: Arte Madera Laimar. Metalwork: Pedro López. Aerothermal: Jorge Solano. Photovoltaic solar energy: Tesla Plus.
Canobardin: architecture from place
Founded in 2017 by Bárbara Bardin and Julio Cano, Canobardin has earned recognition for its ability to develop distinctive projects that respond with conceptual and formal clarity to the environments in which they are set. Their works, located across Spain, Portugal, and Switzerland, combine functionality, design, and a long-term perspective on the passage of time.
Among their most recent works are the award-winning Casa de Campo in Zafra de Záncara, the redesign of Plaza de Levante, and the multifunctional pavilion in Plaza de Andalucía in Bilbao, along with interiors for the Mon Parnasseflower shops. Special mention goes to their Costa del Sol Glamping Village project, where they explored new forms of architecture in nature—an endeavor that led to the founding of TipiTop Tents, a company dedicated to crafting glamping tents made from natural materials.
Their practice always begins with the place—its light, its rhythms, its vegetation. Just like in this House-Studio: a lived-in refuge where architecture doesn’t impose, but rather listens.
Sources: Canobardin y Pati Núñez Agency.
Canobardin
Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid)
canobardin@gmail.com
@canobardin
Project by Canobardin
