Almost by force, a townhouse is a Valentine story of romantic love. This building type might not send flowers, greeting cards, or confectionery to its romantic neighbor on Valentine’s Day but, somehow, it expresses a courtly love by the mere fact of being anonymous, unique, inseparable, and cheek-to-cheek. The “Cuatro Patios” project celebrates the purity of love amidst the interior independence and complexity of the lovers. Townhouses seem to be together and yet a shared wall separates them. The pure white facades and their platonic simplicity fold very gently over the interior turmoil and richness of the building section in order to form a rhythm of unity and a song of songs (homage to R. Magritte).

 

The typical building plan is choreographed around the idea of four unique courtyards and one flexible open space with a set of giant cooper doors; this exceptional revolving door condition allows the space to act either as an extension of the kitchen or as a covered patio between two elongated courtyards. The program includes a three-bedroom abode with an office/atelier on the master-bedroom floor and two outdoor fireplaces. A courtyard pool separates the main body of the house from the outbuilding/garage/solarium in the rear.

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The iconography of the side elevation reflects the most primitive idea of the house. Almost no penetrations on the exterior of the building s well as the perfection of the white stucco finishes allow this townhouse architecture to be preserved in its intact purity. The only two exceptions occur when a few cooper doors and balconies pierce the façade surfaces or when the fireplaces decide to encroach upon the sky with their sculptural richness.