Refuge on the Roof

Disconnect. Think. Think up. Breathe. Create and go back to the beginning. Try, retouch, breathe again and disconnect a little more to finish. A space located high in Barcelona, to be isolated, distanced, alone, as a necessary state for creative process. To do nothing, to work on a project and give life to something that did not exist with just one objective: to be inspired and create.

The project focuses on the design of a shelter, a refuge, living space and creation space both inside and out, in an urban context. Inspiration may come watching the city, domestic life or the buildings surrounding. From the idea of a raised space in Barcelona, an rooftop in the Born district. Close the centre of town, but strategically located high above to escape the bustle of the street. Far but near, close to the sky.

Designed for a single occupant, a creative person who will live temporarily in a scaffolding structure that rises to convert a mediator into a protagonist of the rooftop. Respecting the city, the roof and the neighbours. The shelter has interior and exterior spaces, intended for living alone.

Scaffolding is a common sight in the city. Ephemeral, easy to erect and easy to take down, this makes it ideal to create height and raised planes where an individual can walk or simply be. Being a firm structure, it lends itself not only to working but also to living. It grows on a vertical axis and at different levels. In each, a different length of time. Both the inside and the outside of each level are considered a refuge. The reason for this distribution is to give the creator the privacy to work, or to sleep, to sit or simply for protection from weather and to provide comfort. Comfort is necessary to be in harmony with yourself.