Casa la Toscalera

Casa La Toscalera, designed by Alejandro Beautell García in 2019, is a residential renovation located in El Toscal, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The project involved rehabilitating a 1912 house in a state of disrepair, aiming to evolve the historic structure without erasing its essence. The design preserves the building's volume, street-facing facade, and materiality, introducing a house-patio scheme. The existing small ventilation patio was expanded to occupy the entire transverse centerline of the building, becoming the true center of the house. The second floor is set back from the facade line, reducing its presence on the street and generating a terrace for the master bedroom. Traditional Canarian architectural elements, such as the staircase located on the left side of the gallery open to the patio, are incorporated. The first step of the staircase differs from the others, recalling the basalt pieces common in old Canarian houses. Materials include exposed brick and lime mortar for existing walls, and exposed concrete with different finishes for new constructions. (archdaily.com)