The A&N House in Granada by Ariasrecalde Taller de Architectura distinguishes itself from its neighbours not only volumetrically, but also with a clever and unconventional facade material – baseboards.

In terms of form, each of the rooms within the house is associated with an independent volume or “cube.” Each of these is either set back or pulled outwards depending upon that particular room’s need for natural light, shade or privacy. To highlight this element of the design, architect Luis Gonzalo Arias Recalde sought out a special material to clad the volumes. And a local surplus of white Macael marble baseboards at a local plant caught his eye.

This very cost-effective and locally plentiful material option led the architect to consider reinterpreting the traditional use of this baseboard materials and to break with convention by applying then as a highlight element cladding on the facade. Each of the projecting and inset volumes that makes up the facade are clad following a composition that wraps around their openings. This finishing then framed with a metal angle that serves as a transitional element between the cladding and rendered surfaces of the facade.  Oriented both horizontally and vertically, the narrow strips give a special variety in terms of tone and a mottled appearance that make the design a stand out. Lovely!

More about this architect and their work here.