Casa Tabacalera

Casa Tabacalera, formerly an office building unoccupied for years, has been revitalized and converted into a residential space by CoLiving.

The transformation building represented a major challenge, to combine its history with modernity. It was achieved by preserving its original structure and minimizing interventions, even in a seismic zone, demonstrating a sustainable approach by reusing resources.

The vision behind Casa Tabacalera was clear: to turn it into a welcoming and contemporary home. Distributed over three levels, each had a defined purpose.

The first level houses a coworking space, encouraging collaboration. The second level features a common kitchen to promote culinary interaction. Finally, the third level offers recreational areas, creating a vibrant and social environment.

The introduction of independent bathroom structures was key to the viability of the project. These functional elements became furniture that house bathrooms and essentials, allowing for two types of living units. The larger, 18 to 23 square meters, include kitchenettes; the smaller,11.5 meters, have private bathrooms. Materiality plays an essential role in the transformation. The oak wood floors add warmth, while the rockboard partition walls allow for flexibility in the layout. The building’s high ceilings were used to leave the slabs exposed, creating an industrial and modern ambiance.

The essence of Casa Tabacalera lies in the CoLiving. Bathrooms and wet spaces become mobile, reorganizable according to the changing needs of the residents. This flexibility offers future adaptability and versatility to the design. The project transcends architectural redesign: it is an invitation to innovation and adaptability in the design of spaces.

The successful transformation demonstrates that even old buildings can have new life and purpose. Casa Tabacalera inspires future architectural conversion projects.