A radical conversion project

Named after the Comarca del Jiloca, a region traversed by the eponymous river in central eastern Spain, Casa Jiloca has cultural connotations in both its name and its DNA. Until 2018, it had the conventional appearance of 1970s Madrid housing, the brick homes built during the economic boom that defined the style of many neighbourhoods in Spanish cities. This style could hardly be more different from the new look acquired following the radical restyling project carried out by Zooco Estudio. «The house has been completely redesigned,» explains architect Miguel Crespo Picot from the practice. «Nothing had been touched since the house was originally built back in the 1970s, so a radical transformation was needed. The main objective was to create a timeless and neutral aesthetic that exploits the continuity of the surface coverings and colours.» The entire house is paved with dark coloured large format ceramic tiles from Florim’s Buildtech/2.0 concrete-effect porcelain tile collection, while the entire length of the continuous white walls contains storage units hidden away behind white lacquered panels. The upper section of the storage room in the main portion of the house has been transformed into a system of backlit rough-finished metal shelving. The dark colour of the floor (Coal TU shade) was chosen in stark contrast to the vertical surfaces of the walls and the bright white cabinets, a striking yet timeless stylistic solution. The size of the slabs (60×120 cm, thickness 10 mm) likewise responds to aesthetic criteria and the desire to create a sense of continuity between the rooms. «The clients wanted to get rid of everything from their previous home, including the carpets, decorations and so on. They were looking for a neutral, easy-to-clean floor, which is why we opted for this product,» says the architect. The same approach is evident in the other interior design solutions, including the Tres taps, the compact, linear bathroom furnishings from Avila Dos, the interior lighting fixtures from Faro Barcelona, an icon of Spanish design, and exterior lighting from Rovasi and the decorative radiators from Irsap. A tribute to design and sophisticated minimalism is evident in every detail, both structural and in terms of the furnishings and finishes. At the same time there is an explicit desire for versatility, manifested mainly through the use of low-maintenance products and materials such as the porcelain floor tiles and the presence of multiple storage elements in all the rooms.