Adaptive reuse of a historic guesthouse into coliving for remote workers and creatives

Outsite Barcelona Coliving is the transformation of a former guesthouse located in the heart of Barcelona’s Barri Gòtic into a contemporary coliving space aimed at an international community of remote workers and creative professionals. The intervention combines architecture and interior design through a strategy of minimal structural transformation and a careful reinterpretation of the interiors, seeking to balance the building’s historic identity with a fresh and contemporary atmosphere in dialogue with the vibrant urban context of Barcelona’s historic center.

The rooms are conceived as calm and luminous spaces, characterized by high ceilings and large windows that enhance natural light. Custom integrated wooden furniture organizes the space in a clear and functional way, incorporating bed, storage and work areas into a continuous composition that provides warmth and visual clarity without overloading the environment. On the floor, a composition of small-format ceramic tiles in warm ochre tones defines the central area of the rooms like a “carpet”, introducing texture and material rhythm within a palette of neutral finishes.

The project’s materiality seeks to convey a fresh and relaxed character, aligned with the dynamic profile of its users. In the common areas, the intervention reveals and highlights some of the building’s original constructive elements—exposed brick walls, ceramic lintels and unfinished surfaces—adding depth and character to the shared spaces while revealing layers of the building’s history.

The communal areas are conceived as open and versatile environments for coworking, social interaction and relaxation, complemented by sunny terraces and comfortable furniture that invite people to stay. Signage and the graphic personalization of the rooms, through framed motivational phrases, introduce an additional layer of identity and informality.

The result is an environment that balances privacy and community: a place to live and work temporarily in Barcelona, where architecture, materiality and atmosphere shape a domestic experience adapted to new ways of living and working in the city.