Villa Piedad is a contemporary living space created by Marta Badiola for herself and is Located in San Sebastián, Spain. Photos by: Francisco Berreteaga.

“Inhabiting the volume. Converting the plane into livable volume. Embracing the space. These have been the obsessive aims of the project. My chances of purchaising my own dwelling in the most expensive city of Spain came down to 40 square meters and my knowledge of architecture. Villa Piedad (mercy house) was a two-family house built in 1950. In the course of time, the house was divided up into 8 tiny flats. I bought one half of the under-roof space, the garret of the previous dwelling. A flat with low ceilings and divided into 5 tiny spaces with a claustrophobic central corridor. Verdict: total demolition. Including the roof, that was in a dreadfull state. Without mercy. The outcome was an almost square space with 3 façades and a roof: 4 planes in contact with the exterior. The gruyere cheese was completed with the 7 roof-windows. All the spaces are arranged around a central partition and the bathroom is hanging over the communal stairs. Just like Tati’s house, everything connects. The main space enjoys the view above the city. Living and working in two different levels of the same space. Connected but separated at the same time. The studio on the mezzanine turns into bedroom when friends are staying.”