Casa ST by Maximale
Located in Madrid, Casa ST by Maximale reconsiders the townhouse as a contemporary living environment, using a restrained material palette and carefully considered spatial interventions to explore new ways of inhabiting the home.
As a relatively uncommon housing typology within the city, the project presented an opportunity to challenge familiar domestic conventions and establish stronger connections between interior and exterior living.
The design is grounded in a calm and cohesive material language. Natural oak wood, applied across custom joinery, doors, closets and wall paneling, is paired with seamless microcement flooring to create a warm yet refined backdrop. Throughout the home, material texture, natural light and proportion become the primary tools for shaping the atmosphere, allowing the architecture to feel both precise and welcoming.
The most significant transformation takes place on the ground floor, where the layout was reconfigured around a new oak staircase that serves as the architectural centrepiece of the home. Rising through 3.8 metres of continuous timber paneling, the staircase is seamlessly integrated with storage, utility systems and a compact guest bathroom, allowing functional elements to disappear within a singular architectural gesture.
This level accommodates the living area, kitchen and guest facilities, while maintaining a close relationship with the home's outdoor areas. Particular attention was given to maximising the two courtyards, especially the rear garden, where a six-metre-wide glazed opening establishes a strong visual connection between inside and out. The expansive window extends the experience of the kitchen into the landscape, allowing the garden to become an active part of everyday life.
At the centre of the home, the kitchen acts as both a social hub and a point of connection between the various living zones. Positioned between the interior and the courtyards, it encourages a more open and fluid way of occupying the house. A bespoke kitchen island incorporates a two-metre cantilevered dining table that appears to float without visible structural support, highlighting the studio's commitment to both craftsmanship and technical precision.
The upper floors accommodate three bedrooms and two bathrooms, including an ensuite connected to the primary bedroom on the first level. Here, clean architectural lines and carefully integrated joinery establish a sense of order, while the continued use of oak introduces warmth and tactile richness throughout the private areas of the home.
Outdoor areas play an equally important role in the project. A series of patios and terraces create visual connections between levels while bringing daylight and natural ventilation deep into the interior. Materials were selected to strengthen the continuity between inside and out, with natural travertine by Cosentino used across exterior surfaces.
Many of the home's defining details were custom designed by Maximale specifically for the project. Alongside the sculptural staircase and kitchen island, bespoke furniture pieces include a coffee table crafted from the same travertine used outdoors and a Japanese-inspired timber sofa that complements the home's understated material palette.
The interiors are furnished with selected pieces and lighting sourced through Espacio Betty, including fixtures by Santa & Cole, wall lamps by Flos, and seating from Vincent Van Duysen's collection for Zara Home. These elements sit alongside artworks by Anton Aiguabella, introducing moments of colour, texture and personality within the restrained architectural framework.
