House O by XStudio in Arenales, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, renovates a traditional two-story terraced house around a luminous micro-courtyard heart. A “crack of light” transforms the 14-meter-deep, compartmentalized dwelling into an open, flexible interior, where a skylight, vegetated void, circular oculus, and perforations intensify light, continuity, and connection, while preserving the memory of the original structure.
The house’s existing constraints were further intensified by the client’s request to eliminate the existing courtyard in order to maximize interior surface area. Responding to that, the intervention unfolds through a series of coordinated design strategies that collectively reconfigure the house into a more open, flexible domestic environment, departing from conventional spatial arrangements. Internal partitions were removed, openings were expanded, and the notion of the courtyard is fundamentally reinterpreted.
The courtyard is transformed into a “crack of light”—a narrow, vegetated void that operates as the gravitational center of the house, mediating between public and private spaces.
At the same time, the gesture preserves the memory of the original courtyard through exposed structural reinforcement and a large skylight that retains its footprint, evoking the presence of the former void.
At the core of this new micro-courtyard, a circular oculus measuring two meters in diameter establishes a direct connection between the garden and the living space, introducing a layered, vegetated backdrop within the interior.
This bold incision is complemented by a lattice screen that filters light into the main bedroom, enhancing the spatial depth and theatrical quality of the sequence. From this intervention emerges a consistent formal language: a system of circular perforations of varying scales that extends throughout the house, intensifying both natural illumination and visual continuity. Despite the limited architectural value of the original structure, the project engages carefully with its existing fabric.
Hanging beams are accentuated and become key ordering elements within a deliberately unfinished interior.
A continuous horizontal joint, aligned with the underside of these beams, traces the perimeter of the house and defines the boundary of the new architectural envelope. This datum establishes a clear threshold for all newly inserted elements—including furniture, doors, and cladding—while surfaces above it are stripped back to reveal original textures and construction systems.
New layers, comprising installations and structural reinforcements, are deliberately exposed, reinforcing the project’s subtractive logic. This approach extends to the staircase, which unfolds in direct dialogue with the surrounding spaces.
Materially, pine wood operates as a unifying component, lining the corridor and concealing access to private areas.
It also informs the design of custom-built furniture. In contrast, wet areas are conceived as monochromatic environments, allowing the tactile qualities of individual materials to emerge with clarity.
Plans
Facts & Credits
Project title: House O
Architecture: XStudio
Project type: House renovation
Lead architects: XStudio: Leticia Romero Hernández, Ancor Suárez Suárez
Project location: Los Arenales, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Photography: David Rodríguez