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Home to Architect Carlos Rebolo Maderuelo, co-founder of Madrid-based studio Taller CRAC, and his partner Alicia, this once dark and dated 1970s apartment has been transformed into a bright, open space featuring an open plan living, dining, and home office area. The unique green, perforated metal structure, referred to as "Metalcore," serves as the core of the home, providing ample storage and housing a luxurious bathroom with a stylish tub, generous washbasin area, and terrazzo sinks. The perforated metal walls allow natural light to stream in, while the wavy shape and texture soften the coldness of the steel. The apartment's design masterfully combines industrial elements with natural warmth, creating a home that feels both contemporary and inviting.

#smallapartment #architecture #interiordesign

Ep 189
Project Name: A House in Metalcore
Architect: https://tallercrac.com

Produced by New Mac Video Agency
Creator: Colin Chee
Director: Nam Tran
Cinematographer: Andrew Davies
Producer: Lindsay Barnard
Editor: Sebastian Tibbs
PromoMotion graphic designed by: https://varrgo.com/
Music: The Language of Flowers by REW Alyssum by Adi Goldstein & Like the Old Days by warmkeys from Artlist.io
Promo: Drum Circle by Sage Oursler and Keep Coming Back To The Start (Instrumental Version) by Duplex Heart from Epidemic Sound

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Transcript
00:02The main idea was to make the house much more open and bright.
00:09We wanted all of the main services in the apartment to be hidden in a green cube,
00:14made from sheet metal, which we call the metal core.
00:18This will allow us to free up space and make use of every square meter in our apartment.
00:27My name is Carlos Rebolo and I am an architect and the co-founder of Studio Taller Grab, based in
00:34Madrid.
00:44The area is mainly residential.
00:48There is also a large park near the building, which is very famous for its almond trees.
00:59The flat had never been renovated and it had very old floors and walls with worn out materials.
01:07It wasn't really in bad condition, but it was dated.
01:16We wanted to explore materials that are often found in larger scale buildings.
01:24To use these materials in smaller homes.
01:31There was a living room, a very narrow kitchen, three little bedrooms and one small bathroom.
01:37We removed all the walls of the apartment.
01:40This created an open living room and a unique master bedroom space.
01:45The study can be opened up to the living area using sliding doors.
01:49The bathroom is contained within the green cube that groves around the centre of the flat.
01:55And also provides storage for the bedroom and study.
02:06For the entrance, we created a maple wood corner, where the door is integrated in the design.
02:14Behind a perforated door, there is a radiator.
02:18It is also a small space for keys and other items that we usually take with us when we go
02:23out.
02:25We put a small gold light on the wall.
02:28This gold light shares the same color accent to other objects in the apartment.
02:34There is a closet for shoes too.
02:36It separates the entrance from the sofa.
02:40We chose white so that it would blend into the space.
02:44And as we enter, we can immediately see the white micro cement floor that we use throughout the flat.
02:54The living room is the largest space in the flat.
02:59It shares its space with the dining and the study.
03:03The living room is equipped with a small light grey sofa, with colored cushions to accent the grey.
03:12We costume design a low piece of furniture that works as a television cabinet.
03:17We didn't want the TV to be sitting high and take up the space physically and visually.
03:26The dining area is at the back of the living room.
03:30It is next to a large window that brings a lot of light and gives access to the terrace.
03:39We chose a white extendable table with light wooden legs, like the rest of the wooden elements of the house.
03:47Small white spotlights help to illuminate the space.
03:53The metal core is the center of the house and can be seen from almost every room.
04:01It is a large green perforated metal sheet that contains many functions.
04:08It is the main element that allows us to structure the apartment.
04:14We wanted to have a cozy feeling to compensate for the coldness of the steel.
04:22That's why we used the wavy shapes and perforated texture.
04:30The study was opened up to the living area, using sliding doors.
04:36The study was planned as a multifunctional room, that can be used as a living room extension or as a
04:45guest room.
04:46My partner and I often work from home, so we wanted to have a comfortable study.
04:55A metal shelving unit by MUJI is placed at the back of the room.
05:02The studio has two large seat stand tables, so we can both work from home at the same time.
05:11Behind the desks, we added curtains running the entire length of the wall.
05:16This curtain is also used in the living room, so there is unity between the two spaces.
05:25Within the metal core, we integrated a cupboard with shelves for books, office items and my city collection.
05:36We consider the bathroom as one of the most important rooms in the flat.
05:41The green sheet metal allows light to pass through.
05:46We use two different types of tiles.
05:51All the walls perpendicular to the entrance have a wide rough tile.
05:56The rest are tile with small pieces of the same green as the metal core.
06:01The bathtub is large for a small space.
06:06The floor of this bathtub has also the same micro cement as the rest of the apartment.
06:14The wash basin area has a maple wood cabinet, two terraces of basins and a large mirror.
06:21It was important for us to have two basins because we usually get up and have to get ready at
06:27the same time.
06:29In front of this unit, there is a small room for the toilet and bidet.
06:34They are separated from the rest of the bathroom by a sliding door made of a wooden frame and polycarbonate.
06:46The layout of the bedroom is a mirror image of the study.
06:51The metal core in the bedroom is now a large wardrobe containing all of our clothes.
06:58On the other wall, there is also a curtain that runs all the length of the room.
07:03The curtain appears to have the same wavy shape as the seat metal.
07:10The bedside tables are made of a wide and thin folded seat metal.
07:18We can also see sunlight bulbs hanging from the ceilings.
07:26We love to cook while talking to friends or family in the living room.
07:33The kitchen is really compact, with all the appliances integrated in the cabinetry.
07:41Everything is hidden in the cupboard, with the doors of the same type of wood that is used in the
07:47rest of the house.
07:49The kitchen is framed by a worktop that goes all the way around the cooking space.
07:54In the back, we find small yellow tiles that give another touch of colour to the flat.
08:03We use a lot of plants.
08:06We see them as inhabitants of the house.
08:09And of course, they are very important in the design.
08:13The office and dining room overlook a small south-facing balcony.
08:19The access to this area is from a double door right next to the dining table.
08:25In this outdoor space, we also added a white metal sheet.
08:30We chose white so it better contrasts with the plants.
08:40We always understand small spaces as great opportunities to experiment with systems that allow us to optimize every square meter.
08:52Working with tiny places makes it possible to test solutions focused on sustainability, energy saving and new models of social
09:02life.
09:04By the way, we are the same.
09:10The way, we have the eyes of the house.
09:11And the landscape, we do live in the enough room for the city.
09:18The area of our homes, we are not so far.
09:18But here we are.
09:20We have the first few buildings that are the only ones to be able to use the space.
09:21We have the right to see it.
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