Ismael Medina Manzano redesigned a 60-square-meter apartment in San Sebastian, Spain, in 2024. The Unplanned Domestic Prototype critically explores the transformative potential of the property. Modern domestic needs are the focus of this project that challenges standardized principles and reimagines living spaces in the 21st century.
The apartment was transformed into a flexible, multifunctional environment adaptable to the changing needs of contemporary life. Rather than reinforcing the static nature of the original design, it integrates architectural possibilities that celebrate diverse social interactions.
The Unplanned Domestic Prototype by Ismael Medina Manzano delves into the transformative potential of a 60-square-meter apartment in San Sebastian, Spain. Originally constructed in 1966 as part of Spain’s post-war Stabilization Plan, the building reflects the era’s ideals of minimal, standardized housing tailored to the nuclear family model. The rigid, fixed spaces that once epitomized efficiency are now viewed as limiting within modern domestic contexts.
Given this backdrop, the project challenges these longstanding standardized principles and envisions a new mode of living more attuned to 21st-century needs. The approach involves reimagining the apartment as a flexible, multifunctional environment adaptive to the evolving demands of contemporary life.
Central to the project is a distinctive glazed ceramic curved wall with a 175-degree arc. This design choice disrupts the original apartment layout while functioning as both a spatial organizer and a material statement that deeply resonates with local traditions.
The wall redefines traditional domestic storage, incorporating cabinets, cupboards, shelves, and bathroom fixtures to optimize space usage. At one point, the wall meets a mirrored showcase that ingeniously hides standard appliances, further enhancing openness and fluidity.
Emphasizing locality, the project prominently features San Sebastián sandstone, a material intricately linked to the region’s geological and cultural landscape. By elevating this local stone into a core design element, the project underscores its commitment to locally sourced materials and acknowledges the labor-intensive processes integral to their acquisition.
Further underscoring the project’s ethos are various adaptable, locally sourced design elements. An adjustable-height island crafted from repurposed national granite and local carpentry workshop materials exemplifies this adaptability. These movable elements facilitate diverse social interactions and collaboration.
Additional sustainable features include stools made from reused tree roots, chairs formed from recycled aluminum tubes obtained from a local restaurant, and steel joinery sourced from nearby metal industries. These components collectively highlight a commitment to sustainability and connection to the productive landscape.
Ultimately, Unplanned Domestic Prototype responds to contemporary housing challenges, offering a paradigm for flexible domesticity rather than a definitive solution. By prioritizing local materials and historical narratives, the project prompts reflection on the political, economic, and environmental forces that shape the built environment. Through this introspective lens, it advocates for a nuanced understanding of how we inhabit spaces today.
