La Moraleja is a modern three story private residence that was refurbished in 2012 by ÁBATON Architects, nestled in a heavily vegetated landscape in Madrid, Spain. The home’s construction dates from 1984, with a closed and dark distribution but very well built so the final project eliminated actions that were thought necessary in the early stages of the project.

Basically, we altered the construction’s morphology to improve the general energy saving and strengthened the magnificent views over the impressive garden; we re-organized the interior space in full and as a novelty, we improved the thermal efficiency by applying an external insulation. Additionally, we designed the new landscape, re-organizing the existing species and planting new ones according to the new uses of the 8,072 square foot (750 square meters) house.

ÁBATON was founded in 1998 by Camino Alonso, Ignacio Lechón and Carlos Alonso. From the beginning they aimed for the projects to express the facts that defined the Studio. To achieve it they started up the Construction Company in order to control the whole building process as well as the final result. ÁBATON projects’ impact determined the high turnout of clients searching for a place that expressed the same language of light, sustainability and space that ÁBATON applies to all its projects. Currently, ÁBATON is developing more efficient work processes to confront bigger challenges that have to do with the international growth of the Studio.

Photos: Courtesy of ÁBATON Architects