Rear facade of the renovated 1960s house with large sliding glass doors, a manicured lawn, an outdoor swimming pool, and lounge chairs under mature trees.

Full Renovation LVL Reconfigures Massing for Daylight

ByDesign Lens Hours
Home » Projects » Full Renovation LVL Reconfigures Massing for Daylight

Reconfiguring the Massing and Introducing Natural Light

The renovation project begins with the rehabilitation of a house originally built in the 1960s on a 2,500-square-meter site, preserving its essential architectural character while transforming it into a contemporary residence that responds to its surrounding environment. The design addresses the enclosure of the original interior spaces and the lack of natural daylight by reconfiguring the building mass, allowing light to penetrate deep into the home while strengthening both visual and physical connections between the various spaces and taking full advantage of the site’s landscape and mature vegetation.

The Central Courtyard and Natural Ventilation

The internal courtyard serves as the spatial centerpiece of the house, bringing natural daylight into the heart of the building while promoting cross ventilation throughout the interior. The strategic placement of openings directs airflow to maximize passive ventilation during the summer months, while the changing patterns of light and shadow throughout the day continuously enhance the environmental quality and visual character of the interior spaces.

An interior view of a modern living room with a neutral-colored L-shaped sofa and colorful pillows, a gray lounge chair, and a low coffee table, opening entirely to the garden via massive sliding glass doors.
The living area features massive sliding glass walls that disappear into the structure, completely blurring the boundary between inside and out. (Image © Belén Imaz)
Close-up of the main entrance featuring vertical light-colored wood cladding, a minimalist wooden bench, a large existing tree, and a path through a native garden.
The main entrance combines warm wood cladding with a minimalist aesthetic, respecting the mature trees that define the site. (Image © Belén Imaz)
A view across the wooden table and chairs of the dining area, through the central glass courtyard filled with trees, towards the large outdoor lounge sofa and the rear garden and pool.
This layered perspective illustrates the visual depth created by the central courtyard, linking the dining space to the main garden. (Image © Belén Imaz)

Structural Reconfiguration and Spatial Reorganization

The renovation strategy preserves the eastern and western wings of the original building while removing the central section to create a more open and flexible spatial composition. This intervention enabled a complete redistribution of the home’s primary functions, with the ground floor accommodating the living, dining, and kitchen areas, while the upper level is dedicated to the primary bedroom suite. The removal of internal partitions and the introduction of higher ceiling heights further enhance spatial openness and circulation throughout the house. Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) structural elements were incorporated to provide lightweight structural solutions that support the new architectural configuration using advanced building materials.

The Interior Garden and Strengthening the Connection with Nature

An interior garden occupies the center of the residence, becoming both a visual focal point and a functional element that links the various living spaces. Large sliding glass walls, which disappear completely into the walls when opened, seamlessly integrate the interior with the garden, allowing natural light, fresh air, and surrounding vegetation to extend into the heart of the house. This design makes nature an integral part of everyday life while preserving the existing trees and landscape features across the site.

A colorful and detailed architectural floor plan of the upper level, showing the master suite, additional bedrooms, bathrooms, central courtyard opening, and surrounding mature tree canopy.
The detailed floor plan reveals the upper-level spatial layout and its relationship to the central courtyard opening.
Interior dining space with a large light wood table and Scandinavian-style chairs, minimalist pendant lights, and a unique modern wooden sculpture on a sideboard, adjacent to the central courtyard.
The dining area offers curated views of both the modern interior design and the natural beauty of the central courtyard. (Image © Belén Imaz)
Close-up of the internal garden courtyard filled with green foliage, framed by black-framed glass sliding doors and looking out toward the main living room and backyard.
The central internal garden brings natural greenery into the heart of the home, framing views toward the living room and backyard pool. (Image © Belén Imaz)

Spatial Continuity Between Interior and Exterior

The organization of the ground floor establishes a direct relationship between interior living areas and outdoor spaces, increasing flexibility of use while opening the house toward the garden and courtyard. This connection is reinforced by a central fireplace that simultaneously serves both the indoor living room and the outdoor terrace, extending its functionality throughout the year. On the upper floor, the primary bedroom features a fully openable south-facing façade, while the children’s and guest bedrooms retain the original pitched roofs, preserving an important element of the building’s architectural identity.

Structural System

The project employs Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) as its primary structural material due to its high strength-to-weight ratio compared with conventional construction materials. This structural system makes it possible to achieve wider openings and larger uninterrupted spans while reducing structural loads. It also provides greater flexibility for reshaping the interior spaces without compromising the building’s structural performance or stability.

An open-plan interior featuring a large white sectional sofa, a fireplace, leather lounge chairs, and a white bookshelf, organized around a central glass-enclosed courtyard with trees.
The central courtyard acts as a vital light well, bringing natural illumination deep into the heart of the home’s primary living areas. (Image © Belén Imaz)
View from a modern master bedroom looking out onto a wooden deck balcony with a classic woven chair, a lounge chair, and a glass railing, overlooking a dense green hedge and pool.
The upper-level master bedroom opens to a private balcony, offering serene views of the lush garden. (Image © Belén Imaz)

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

Rather than approaching renovation as a purely aesthetic upgrade, the project redefines a 1960s house through selective demolition, spatial reorganization, and improved environmental performance. Daylight, natural ventilation, and circulation become fundamental design tools, while the use of Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) enables wider structural openings without undermining the integrity of the existing framework. The project demonstrates that adaptive reuse can preserve architectural identity while enhancing performance within the context of contemporary architecture.

However, this approach also assumes that spatial openness inherently leads to higher residential quality. While expansive glazed façades and open courtyards significantly improve daylight access and natural ventilation, they may also introduce long-term challenges related to privacy, maintenance, and operational efficiency. Consequently, the project’s success depends not only on the clarity of its spatial composition but equally on construction quality and the careful selection of durable building materials.

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Editorial Team: Mustafa & Rajy Khabazi.

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