Residencia Las Liras

Overawed by spectacular buildings, we tend to pay little attention to housing. Yet it is possible to innovate in so basic a sector. For example, by seeking a particular kind of occupant. A few years ago that is what the Layetana real estate company wanted to do: to find innovative products. Las Liras consists of an apartment building with services, intended for elderly people in good health, but who, rather than living alone in large flats, prefer a more comfortable, functional alternative. Here they have a fully-equipped apartment, with a living room, kitchen and bathroom, but where they can also share the communal garden for a stroll, or use the TV and games rooms, gym, bathing area, or chapel. Also there is a cleaning service, a laundry, a medical centre and a dining room to make sure everyone can get a healthy meal.

The challenge was to fit the complex into the city of Terrassa, with its traditional detached houses on small plots aligned along narrow streets. For this reason we sought urbane openings in the facades and readopted the balcony, where we paid homage to the city’s textile history through the design of the twisted railings. A large copper roof seeks to give unity to the complex and beautify the terraces, highly visible in a city that is called precisely that: Terrassa, area of flat land.