The refurbished building, originally a sardine curing facility in Colera, Costa Brava, is a significant example of early 20th-century cooperative architecture in Catalonia, built with simple, locally sourced materials like stone and ceramics. As part of a movement where workers combined efforts to create functional spaces with limited resources, they used arches to span large areas without obstructions, while ensuring durability and lightness.
After years of neglect and sea moisture damage, Ros + Falguera Arquitectura refurbished it as a beachfront residence, applying finite element modeling to assess structural integrity and securing the roof against tramontana winds, reinforcing the original logic. The project emphasized sustainability by reusing local materials like brick, ceramics, and stone to reduce carbon footprint, uncovering sealed windows to recover natural light, and restoring native vegetation adapted to drought and salt, to harmonize with the Mediterranean setting.






Details
Architecture
Ros Falguera Arquitectura; Pablo Ros Fernandez, Jaume Falguera Clavero, Elisabetta Sella, Paula Rydygier
Client
Amalia Duch Brown, Pablo Noriega
Year of completion
2025
Location
Colera, Spain
Total area
250 m2
Site area
1.000 m2
Photos
Kike Vega
Partners
Structural Engineer: Best SL; Nacho Costales
Obres i Serveis Dual, SL; Pablo Ros
