A Blank Slate: Casa Rio in Madrid by HANGHAR.

Upon first appearance, Casa Rio by Hanghar seems minimalist, stark and white. What it really is, though, is a big warm hug.

In the rapidly gentrifying neighbourhood of Carabanchel, Casa Rio is Hanghars’ olive branch towards Madrid’s affordable housing crisis. With the average costs of homes now exceeding the reach of many citizens, the project distances itself from market-driven logic and, instead, presents citizens with a bare shell that is readily customisable — and, most importantly, affordable!

The apartments are essentially a ‘naked shell’. They’re built around what Hanghar refer to as a ‘technically equipped wall’. Each wall holds a series of services, including plumbing and electricity, as well as storage space for the kitchens and bathrooms. Clad in raw aluminium, these walls become a backdrop that reflect both light and the domestic activities of its’ occupants.

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A large grid-like system of steel beams and pillars set up the framework which Hanghar used to divide the spaces. Structure is left exposed to save costs and is instead celebrated alongside the remaining materiality.

Each apartment is sandwiched between highly reflective epoxy resin floors and a texturally rich splashed plaster ceiling. The kitchen and bathrooms adopt simple and durable tiles and are accented with limited detailing. The only sense of colour comes through the local red marble, which is used sparingly and deliberately.

Hanghar aimed to create a space that felt grey and monotonous — a deliberate gesture to allow future interventions to occur more seamlessly, if and when Casa Rio’s occupants choose to invest in further works to their properties.

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Hanghar also recognised that fixtures and fittings are generally a significant driver behind developers’ profits. So what did they do? They embraced simple and standard options. When paired with clever textural gestures, the resulting space presents as rich and uncompromised.

So, how would you like to live naked? Hanghars’ ‘naked shell’ apartments are a blank slate, ready to be dressed. They are a much-welcomed addition to Carabanchel’s streets, giving residents a chance at maintaining a home through Madrids’ challenging housing crisis and genuinely making it theirs.

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[Images courtesy of Hanghar. Photography by Luis Diaz Diaz.]