Cool Spaces: Casa 15 by AM-arqstudio

WORDS Cheri Morris PHOTOS Ivo Tavares Studio

Casa 15 by AM-arqstudio is a game of transition and fluidity – an exploration of light’s relationship to space; natural and artificial, private and peopled.

The client approached AM-arqstudio with clear intentions: A home of social atmospheres, individual but intertwined, that allow for every family member to be visible – be they cooking, reading or working. Further, the fall of night was to signal warmth and comfort; a refuge from the unease of shadows and exterior movements. In response, the architects made divisions between social and private spaces more pronounced while also linking one to the next through the binding thread of light.

The design sees light work in contrast with darker textures, making the running of time gently felt. The day’s first rays impregnate the kitchen, heating the floor and balcony. The second moment reflects the light, pointing to the dinning space where both interior and exterior can be connected.

READ MORE: BOX Arquitectos Designs A Masterful Modernist Micro-House

After that, the sun begins to sink into the library’s wooden furniture, inviting the transition from home office to living room. Here, the last of the natural light settles into restoration, an apt signalling of the day’s near completion. And even in darkness, the home welcomes the moon – casting pools of blue on beds through vertical openings.

Looking for more architectural inspiration? Sign up to our weekly newsletter, here.