The Alhambra house is located in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, in an upper-middle class neighborhood composed of single-family residences arranged on a garden-city type urban lay-out [characterized by tree-lined streets, and small neighborhood parks].Designed by URBANA, the residence sits on a lot of 950 square meters, and is flanked by similarly sized parcels on both of its sides: the south side of the property is defined by the street, whereas the north side butts the metropolitan train system. The owners were a young professional couple with two small children. The existing house contained a monumental Japanese oak in its patio, a fact that shaped the basic design strategy for the project, as we decided to enhance it by focusing the new living spaces around it. The floor to ceiling glass doors bring natural daylight in order to reduce electrical illumination during the day.
The house has also a large swimming pool and an outdoor gazebo, with a guest room. The gazebo echoes the opening-towards-the-tree gestures and the constructive elements of the main structure, while the pool, in addition of being a recreational water oasis, serves as connector between the main house and the gazebo.
