Mò Pascual
Mònica Pascual Duran
License number COAC 29.902/2
How did you study architecture?
I started architecture because I liked to draw. Then I discovered that there was quite a lot of technical drawing but I learned a lot. Today I still really enjoy drawing and also looking at illustrations.
How did you get to where you are?
I started in an architecture studio as a designer of blocks of flats for developers who made standard flats. Then when I set up my own studio I devoted myself mainly to renovation. This is where I found my place because I am interested in the recovery of things and that the same space gives me what I then use for work.
What do you like most about what you do?
Think about what you can get out of each situation and imagine a life in this place keeping in mind the aesthetics but also that it is practical.
What have you discovered through your work?
That each project is a story between the space, the architect, the one who will live there and the one who builds it. Everything is a matter of relationship between people.
Why do you think it is a relationship between people?
Because a project and its materialization is better if there is a dialogue between all members of the team. And that’s good for the work, which is the protagonist.
How do you define the particular user?
He is the person who has an illusion and who embarks on a situation with which he is often unfamiliar. Our task is to know what is most important to him/her and find out how to start this architectural project that often goes hand in hand with a vital project.
What improves the project and its development?
Well, let this path be the kindest and richest possible. You also need to let the project have a life of its own.
What does it mean that the project has a life of its own?
That at any moment there can be changes. The spaces have just been completely defined when they are finally inhabited. This is what humanizes them.
What part of the house do you find most important?
A home should be a place where you really feel at home and every piece plays its role. For example, it is important what you see when you enter the door. The environment that surrounds us affects us. I also find the kitchen very important. The kitchen for me is the lung of the house, perhaps because it is a meeting point and because I like to cook.
Which starting points do you prioritize over others?
Natural light and fluid circulation are two of the things I take into account the most because they make our space friendlier.
How do you think it should be done in relation to the cost?
It is important to have an idea of the starting budget when starting work, although the quality of a project is not necessarily related to the total cost, but rather to the wisdom when managing resources.
And in relation to other aspects that may arise, how should work be done?
With desire and energy, because a work is an adventure and as such has its surprises that you have to solve with agility and imagination.
What do you expect from the end result?
That the person who has to live in that space at the end of time will tell me, “look, I’m very good here”. The environment directly influences the quality of our lives and our job is to improve it.
What would you advise someone who wants to renovate their home?
Put it in the hands of an architect or professional with whom you have empathy, let yourself be advised in this experience and take it easy.
