Located in the city of Rosario, near Independence Park, Bombacha house was originally a typical early XXth century argentinian house, whose slabs were built in a traditional local steel joists and brick vaults technique, supported by thick brick walls for a structure. As for styling, the house featured a 1930s aesthetic, with a distinctive Italian Rationalist-style staircase made of travertine as the main hallmark of its modest 150 square meters. 

     Along the century and by passing through many owners, a series of heterogeneous additions was made to the house. Each addition implied an individual intervention with an independent set of plumbing, water provision and electrical infrastructures.
     This collection of interventions, in time, seriously compromised the possibilities of the current owners to project a comfortable enjoyment of the house while facing episodic troubles in separate infrastructures across the different addtions that were made to the house.
     Consequently, the house was deemed to be renovated in order to make a unified spatial, aesthetic and fundamentally, infrastructural and extended object out of it, and the request was made as well, for it to incorporate a new extension that would belong to this “unified” refurbishment of the structures; thus figurating a project that would feature a singular, compact intepretation of the many spaces provided by the house while at the same time would stay respectful to the character that the old -and more extense- structure posed; configurating a theoretical scenario of a seamless integration of the original structure and a modern addition. 
     The resulting project, now named Casa Bombacha, is an exploration on the possibilities of contemporary architecture when it comes to retain the character of the original house.
     The new wing, made of steel-reinforced concrete, is located between the party walls and connects to the pre-existing structure via a new flight of stairs that replaces the original joist and vaultlet slab. The new flight of stairs is designed to replicate the original shortest flight, and together with the longer flight and the landing, fashion a V shape when viewed in section. The entire staircase is covered by a 5.50 x 2.50 meter metallic skylight that brings natural light into the vertical circulation space.
     The extension adds an additional 150 square meters to the original house, resulting in a spacious 300 square meter house with four bedrooms, each with its bathroom in-suite, two studies, and an ample living room. The new wing is designed to complement the original structure, with materials such as steel, concrete, and glass that contrast with the traditional brick and travertine of the existing structure.
     The original staircase, the distinctive feature of the house, was given new life by removing the old joist and vaultlet slab and placing the whole vertical circulation beneath a skylight. This change allows natural light to penetrate deep into the interior of the house and gives the staircase a modern and open feel, while provides the scenery for the new and old doors to the bedrooms to blend seamlessly.
Throughout the renovation and extension, the needs and desires of the clients were considered. The result is a house that not only reflects the personality of the clients but also of its own heritage. An example of how a house can be transformed into a modern home while preserving the character of the original structure.