good for the way they relate socially, culture, climate or gastronomy, Differences between countries can be abysmal. Without having to leave Europe, it is often said that the countries of the South are more similar among them compared to those of the north, and vice versa. By sharing Mediterranean culture and for its geographical proximity, we tend to think that Italy is one of the most similar nations compared to Spain.
But there are certain things that do very differently from us. This is seen by the Italian architect Marta Montecucco, founder of Mao Studio, who when settling in our country went into a universe full of customs inside the house very different from those who were used to. These are some of the most shocking for her:
The washing machine in the kitchen instead of in the bathroom
“In Italy, if there is no specific space for washing, the washing machine is put in the bathroom, normally in the service. And if possible, it is done as an area prior to the bathroom (which we call antebaño), where the sink and the washing machine is located, and then in another space the toilet, the drum and the shower. That seems fundamental to me, because mixing the washing of the clothes with the activities of the kitchen is very little hygienic.
It is true that in Italy it is not so common that there is washer, while in Spain, especially in official protection homes, where it stays as an extension of the kitchen. This implies that, many times, the kitchen does not have good lighting because it gives a laundry room that is covered by Lamas. With this solution the spatial quality of the kitchen is reduced And the laundry room, even if it exists, is not in a functional location to its use. That connection between kitchen and laundry would not have to exist. ”
In Italy, the bath light switch is usually put inside.
THE DIMENSION OF THE ROOMS
“In Italy, by regulations, The rooms are broaderboth the bedrooms and the halls. When I arrived, that was something that at first was missing. Although it seems a lie, between 8 and 9 square meters there is a difference in a bedroom. And in the halls also makes the difference: in many old Spanish homes you find rooms of 16 or 18 square meters and the house has four bedrooms. It’s crazy! “
Closed terraces
“In Italy there are also some terraces, but it is not as usual as in Spain. Normally in Italy, the terraces remain as an external element, They are not integrated into the house. Here I think it began to be done by necessity, because the interior space is reduced and You need to earn useful meters. But I think it has already become something cultural. It is taken for granted that the terrace must be integrated, when in reality it has undoubted advantages, especially in climates such as Spanish, where much of the year can really be used. And above all they can be used to create green corners and generate a connection with nature from inside the house. “
The bath switch
“In Italy, The bath switch is usually put insideas in most rooms. That was a very large cultural shock for me at the beginning. Here you enter the bathroom and if someone passes through the hall, they can turn off the light from outside, and you are inside, in the dark. It looks like an anecdote, but it is something that I always look at. “
“In Italy it is increasingly integrated to mix noble or classic materials, such as marble, with contemporary and industrial materials such as metal,” says the architect.
The embedded cabinets
“In Italy, old house cabinets are not embedded as here. They are furniture, custom madeembedded in a wall hole, but they are not built inside it, but “fill” the hole. In this way No space is lost or down. It is a roof floor furniture, as is done now in the reforms or new housing work. What has always caught my attention is that the fact that the house has “embedded cabinets” when looking for to buy or rent is a plus for the house, as it gives it more cache, when in reality it implies a loss of space and, if you have to reform the space, it implies a demolition. “
The coexistence of the ancient and the new
“And already entering a more material and aesthetics, what I miss most is dialogue Between the old and the contemporary. In Italy that is always very present. The soul of a house is always taken into account, the old: try to preserve it, maintain it, keep the character, but also the elements, the materials. That dialogue can be by contrast or mimesis, but there is almost always respect for the old, even to the ‘old’ to dry. And that also shows in the use of materials. And lately In Italy it is increasingly integrated to mix noble or classic materials, such as marble, with contemporary and industrial materials such as metal. There is more daring. In Spain I think there is more eagerness for “the new.” Although there are exceptions, in general there is not so much will to integrate between the old and the contemporary. And that I think is also due to a difference in academic training: in Italy a lot during the career is insisted on context analysis, studying the environment, pre -existing, history. While in Spain the look is more in the development of the project as an autonomous element. “
