SHORT DESCRIPTION

Located in Fuencarral C, one of Madrid’s Satellite Settlements built between 1956 and 1966, Happy Home is a rehabilitation project that seeks to restore the essence of the original house while adapting it to contemporary life. Designed by José Luis Romany, the dwelling had undergone multiple transformations that concealed its distinctive character: the courtyard had been enclosed, the brick façade tiled over, and the iconic porch lost. The renovation aims to recover the architectural integrity of the building and prepare it for a new stage, accompanying a young family of four in their daily routines. Six key strategies guide the intervention: removing later additions to recover the original volumetry; restoring the exposed brick façade and its lattices; incorporating two new porticoes to organise circulation and expand shared spaces; opening the western façade to connect interior and exterior areas; activating the attic under the gable roof; and improving the house’s environmental performance through aerothermal systems and the use of natural materials. The palette combines ceramics, wood, and metal with bright touches of orange and green, creating a warm, vibrant atmosphere that reflects the vitality of its inhabitants. Spaces are designed to evolve with time: the large children’s room can later be divided for privacy; the kitchen grows from a space for high chairs into a shared office-kitchen; and the living room opens completely in summer to merge with the garden. Happy Home reclaims light, air, and domestic life as essential elements of architecture. It invites coexistence between humans, animals, and materials, allowing the house to breathe again while preserving its memory. The renovation transforms what was once an altered structure into a flexible, luminous home—ready to embrace the future without forgetting its past.