Step Inside Directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi’s Modern Madrid Home

“Making this house has been like shooting a movie: When we carry out a project we always like to bring people together, gather talent, and take advantage of different visions to create something new,” explains Calvo. “In fact, as usually happens when you have an idea and write a script, when we sat down for the first time [with the Mesura and Viraje studios] and made the initial drawing, the house emerged almost as we see it.”

Iborra insists that the project represents a new paradigm for his studio. “It all starts from making what we call honest architecture: the skin of the house shows the tectonics of its construction,” he explains. “We have taken the industrialized system to another level at the intersections between [right angles] and curves through large prefabricated slabs, defined to the millimeter.”

An outdoor area features a travertine table from Les Eines, a Tropicalia armchair by Patricia Urquiola, and a lamp by Adriana Cabello.

“Industrialization is a means to achieve good architecture, which is the goal,” says Hinarejos. “We standardize processes, not parts. That’s why the houses are unique. This system generates less waste—63% less in this case—and shortens construction times. It is more precise, safer, and more efficient.”

The co-directors are thrilled with the result, imbuing the concrete spaces with life and transforming the house and garden into a creative retreat. “Javi and I write a lot and often felt the need to escape to Ibiza to do so in peace when we lived in an apartment,” says Ambrossi. “We would rent a little house and go there to create The Messiah or Veneno. Writing is not only the physical act, but it involves reading, thinking, or spending entire days without any idea coming to you. That’s why we needed a space where we could feel inspired and comfortable, and that offered us the chance to take a walk around the garden to unwind. Our new house fulfills that purpose. We have a little garden where we can sit and be comfortable, with the dogs happily running from one side to the other.”

This story was originally published in AD España’s June 2024 issue.