With family with Cecilia and Yoel
Practicality and open spaces reign supreme in the flat of Cecilia Tham and Yoel Karaso. He carried out the flat refurbishment with his architectural firm They inhabit, and it shows in the way the spaces coexist and communicate with each other, as he was not just refurbishing a flat, but a home. He lives there with his two daughters and they share the same profession: architecture.
CHAOS MAGAZINE | 19.01.2014
Cecilia arrived in Barcelona after living in the United States, where she had moved from her native China, drawn by Gaudí. Once here, she changed her thesis subject to a less well-known topic, that of the ring roads of the Catalan capital. After a few trips and meeting Yoel in Madrid, they finally decided to settle in Barcelona, where they share a design studio.
The fact that the other architects were also family members allowed Cecilia to have her daughters close while she worked and ultimately create a project of her own, the MOB - Makers of Barcelona, a space to share more than just a desk.
Housed in a former factory, MOB functions as a multi-purpose space for both working and socialising networking. Cecilia places a lot of emphasis when explaining her project on the importance of the “design thinking”, that is to say, looking at everyday things from another point of view, and he puts this into practice with his daughters in the manner of a simple game: “We play at taking an object, a spoon or something similar, and thinking of other uses. What can a spoon be? It can be a horn, placed on the head... etc.”
By this point in the interview, Hanna is wearing her dancing tutu and Noa is running around the house without a nappy. The little one shows the typical confidence of her age and isn't bothered (rather, she finds it amusing) that the adults are watching her antics. Hanna, for her part, is quieter and a bit shy, but spontaneity soon takes over and she shows us her newly learned dance steps.
For Yoel and Cecilia, their daughters' education involves them having a broad view of society and being able to solve a problem from different perspectives when they are adults. All of this entails continuing to travel and learning languages. Hanna is starting her Cantonese classes this year so as not to lose her mother tongue, which will join the Spanish and English they already speak on a daily basis.
…a typical Sunday morning?
Almost always we have French toast for breakfast every Sunday. Afterwards, we look for an activity to do together, almost always going for a walk or going to museums. We call friends or family to arrange to meet for lunch, then a bit of a park and then we go home. The rest is just the usual routine, shower, dinner, sleep...
…favourite place to go for a walk?
Born, Raval or Gràcia neighbourhood.
…favourite children's reading?
Dr. Seuss, Geronimo Stilton or Barbapapa.
...favourite music?
Brassens or Albert Pla.
...favourite restaurant?
Tantarantana (because it has a park in front of it)
...the best advice you've been given about children?
«How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, a fantastic book about how to listen to your children.
...moment do you particularly remember?
When I was about 3 years old, Hanna said to me «Mummy says socks, dad says socks, so Hanna says Blimey!"
