Quality: 2 - Ciudad

Makoko Neighborhood Hotspot

0

Makoko Neighborhood Hotspot

Mismatches Services Vulnerable groups
Urban Design Quality Liveability
Promotion and production Favelas/Slums

Main objectives of the project

The Makoko Neighborhood Hotspot, developed by FABULOUS URBAN from 2013 to 2017, is a vital infrastructure hub in Lagos' Makoko slum, providing essential services like biogas-linked community toilets, biogas production, water treatment, and farming pipes. Serving as both a business incubator and community empowerment center, it supports roughly 200 people and aims to inspire similar initiatives in other low-income areas. Managed by the Makoko Neighborhood Hotspot Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited, the Hotspot exemplifies decentralized, low-cost interventions that address critical infrastructure needs while promoting sustainable development and community resilience.

Date

  • 2017: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: FABULOUS URBAN

Location

Continent: Africa
Country/Region: Lagos, Nigeria

Description

Housing is so much more than brick-and-mortar solutions. Above all, housing policies must provide infrastructure to a community. In the context of urban slum settlements, facilities like the Makoko Neighborhood Hotspot are of paramount importance, serving as a beacon of hope and innovation for communities often neglected by conventional urban development plans. Between 2013 and 2017, FABULOUS URBAN developed and implemented the Makoko Neighborhood Hotspot as part of the broader Makoko Urban Design Toolbox and the Makoko/Iwaya Waterfront Regeneration Plan. This initiative aimed to provide both technical and social infrastructure to one of Lagos' most well-known slum settlements, Makoko.

The Makoko Neighborhood Hotspot functions as an infrastructure hub, delivering essential urban services such as biogas-linked community toilets and serving as a business incubator promoting waste-to-energy principles. Moreover, it acts as a community empowerment tool and learning center, enhancing the social fabric and economic opportunities within the community. Despite the challenging decision-making processes faced by the underserved Makoko residents during the conceptualization and building phases, the Hotspot emerged as a carefully and ambitiously designed structure, symbolizing more than just an architectural feat.

In December 2015, following the completion and inauguration of the structure, the project entered its second phase, culminating in the formation of the “Makoko Neighborhood Hotspot Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited” in 2016. Officially registered with the Lagos State Department of Cooperatives, this body now manages the operational and administrative functions of the Hotspot. With 20 members and a 7-strong management committee, the cooperative is responsible for hiring, payment, and supervision of employees, supported by three business plans designed to ensure sustainable operations.

By December 2017, the end of the third project phase, the Hotspot began providing critical infrastructure to approximately 200 people, including biogas-linked community toilets, biogas production, water treatment, and farming pipes. During the pilot phase, 10 families received cooking gas, refilled at the Hotspot with specially designed biogas rucksacks. As a business incubator, the Hotspot serves as a prototype for replication in other parts of the community and similar slum or low-income settlements in Lagos State.

Facilities like the Makoko Neighborhood Hotspot demonstrate a model for addressing the severe lack of infrastructure in many underserved communities. They embody decentralized, strategic, yet low-cost interventions that not only meet immediate needs but also inspire long-term solutions and governmental action. By empowering local residents and fostering sustainable development, such initiatives play a crucial role in transforming slum settlements into vibrant, self-sustaining communities.

Links

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Pla de Barris, Barcelona

0

Pla de Barris, Barcelona

Mismatches Functional adequacy Services Cultural suitability Vulnerable groups Climate change
Policies and regulations Local policies Building capacity Global frameworks Governance Public-private initiatives

Main objectives of the project

The Pla de Barris in Barcelona adopts a holistic approach to affordable housing, emphasizing not only the refurbishment of housing and public spaces but also addressing economic and social justice issues within neighborhoods. Originating in the early 2000s and reimplemented in 2015 with a community-driven focus, the plan supports local initiatives with institutional help, fostering collective action. It integrates housing actions with economic development, educational opportunities, and social services to enable residents to afford their living costs. Currently, the AMB is preparing to expand this initiative to a metropolitan level, ensuring broader impact across the entire city.

Date

  • 2015: Implementation

Stakeholders

  • Foment de Ciutat
  • Ajuntament de Barcelona

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Barcelona
Country/Region: Barcelona, Spain

Description

When we speak about affordable housing, we often focus solely on the buildings. This brick-and-mortar perspective, while necessary, is only a small part of the whole issue. Dwelling is not just about having access to a housing unit with an affordable cost; it also involves having the opportunity to progress professionally and personally within the neighborhood, thereby being able to manage the cost of living. This is the logic behind "el Pla de Barris" (neighborhood plan) in Barcelona.

The Pla de Barris takes a holistic approach to addressing the needs of the most deprived areas in the city. While emphasizing the necessity of housing refurbishment and enhancement of public spaces, it also addresses the economic and social justice issues within neighborhoods. Thus, the plan combines housing initiatives with social policies.

The origin of the Pla de Barris dates back to the early 2000s, focusing on the need to foster investments in public spaces where vulnerable populations lived. However, after the 2008 crisis, the Pla de Barris was cut off due to budgetary reasons. In 2015, it was reimplemented with a different perspective. Now, the Pla de Barris is community-driven, centering on actions that the community can implement themselves with institutional support. Hence, it has transformed into a collective action policy. For example, despite its investment in housing refurbishment, it does so with a holistic approach. While the public administration typically just offers a grant, the Pla de Barris also provides the tools for the community to manage the grant and implement the project (see “Finques d’Alta Complexitat” on this same website).

Additionally, living in a neighborhood means having the earnings to pay for your house and expenses. For this reason, the latest Pla de Barris emphasizes the need to foster economic development projects, educational opportunities, and social services. In addition, it puts the climate resilience of housing and neighbourhoods as a central objective, adapting the most vulnerable to the climate challenge in their homes and environments.

The Pla de Barris operates within the municipality of Barcelona. However, the AMB, the metropolitan government, is now preparing the metropolitan Pla de Barris, so that investments can be scaled to the required dimension, impacting the entire city.

Links

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Downtown rehabilitation of Santiago de Compostela, Spain

0

Downtown rehabilitation of Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Mismatches Services Cultural suitability
Policies and regulations Local policies Global frameworks
Urban Design Modelos De Ciudad Urban fabrics Environments Quality Liveability

Main objectives of the project

Santiago de Compostela, the historic capital of Galicia, faces the challenge of rehabilitating its medieval centre, protecting its heritage and avoiding the displacement of residents due to the influx of pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. Since the 1990s, a comprehensive programme has improved housing, facilities and public spaces, prioritising residential use and creating green corridors and pedestrian areas. These initiatives, financed in part by public-private partnerships, have raised the quality of life and fostered greater cultural identification and heritage conservation.

Date

  • 1994: Implementation

Stakeholders

  • Concello de Santiago de Compostela

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Spain

Description

Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia, a region within Spain, is a medium-sized but ancient city. It has about 100,000 inhabitants. Known especially for being the final destination of the Camino de Santiago, Compostela is one of the main destinations for the Catholic community. This attracts many pilgrims and visitors, which has an impact on housing prices. This is particularly noticeable in its centre, where it faces the challenge of rehabilitating very old houses (some of medieval origin), protecting the heritage and ensuring that neighbours are not displaced. Hence, in the 1990s, a comprehensive rehabilitation programme was put in place, which sought to act on housing, neighbourhoods and neighbourhood support policies to enable a thriving city centre.

The main objective of the upgrading and recovery actions in the historic centre of Santiago has been to stabilise and improve the quality of life of the resident population. Therefore, the interventions have prioritised residential use as the central objective in the historic city, implementing comprehensive housing rehabilitation programmes.

These actions have been complemented by improvements in facilities and public space in various dimensions, such as the integration of peri-urban green spaces (corridors connecting the centre with the rural landscape) and the creation of a pedestrian priority zone. These strategies have increased the consideration of the centre as a meeting space. The strategic role of the historic centre as a space for residents is a topic of contemporary debate on historic centres which, in this case, has had a positive impact, contributing to improving the quality of the historic centre.

In addition, its environmental dimension is notable, with the integration of new green corridors in a compact historic environment, as well as the public-private partnership in its financing. Finally, the impact of the interventions has transcended the physical, as, together with the collaboration of a diverse network of agents, it has promoted the cultural identification of the heritage of the historic centre by the citizens, which has improved the quality of maintenance and a conscious use of the areas of the historic centre.

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Polígono Sur, Sevilla, Spain

0

Polígono Sur, Sevilla, Spain

Mismatches Location Vulnerable groups
Policies and regulations Local policies Governance
Urban Design Modelos De Ciudad Urban fabrics Environments Quality Liveability

Main objectives of the project

The urban regeneration of Seville's Polígono Sur has been an ongoing process focused on revitalising one of the municipality's most vulnerable neighbourhoods. Actions include the improvement of housing, the urbanisation of abandoned areas, the creation of car parks and green spaces, and the improvement of accessibility. In addition, strategies have been implemented to encourage economic development through the incorporation of support facilities and training schemes. The improvement of public space has been key to promoting community identity and the integration of the neighbourhood with its surroundings.

Date

  • 2020: Implementation
  • 2006: Implementation

Stakeholders

  • Sevilla City Hall

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Seville, Spain

Description

The urban regeneration of Seville's Polígono Sur, a process that has been going on for a long time, has focused on revitalising one of the most vulnerable neighbourhoods in the municipality, both in socio-economic terms and in terms of the quality of the buildings. The first project was launched in 2006. After the pandemic of 2020, further phases are being implemented.

Ongoing actions in this area have covered various lines of intervention. Improvements have been made to housing and public spaces, urbanising derelict areas, creating new surface car parks and green spaces, and improving accessibility in existing areas. At the moment, a 'pon' rehabilitation of empty homes is being carried out, guaranteeing access to social housing for the people of the neighbourhood, and the so-called "Central Vacuum" is being redeveloped as a large green lung.

Other strategies have been aimed at promoting the economic development of the neighbourhood, through the incorporation of support facilities (which facilitate the development of business activities and the consolidation of existing ones) and the implementation of plans for training and integration of the neighbourhood with its surroundings.

The strategy of improving the public space is particularly relevant for its intention to promote the community identity of the beginnings of the neighbourhood and its spatial and social openness towards the surrounding areas.

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Urban regeneration of the Albaicín, Granada

0

Urban regeneration of the Albaicín, Granada

Mismatches Cultural suitability Diversity
Policies and regulations Local policies Governance Public-private initiatives Participatory processes
Urban Design Environments

Main objectives of the project

The Albaicín, one of the most visited and touristically attractive neighbourhoods in Granada, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007. However, its deteriorated state of conservation, with serious situations of substandard housing, led to the development of the Integral Rehabilitation of the Albaicín project in 2002. This project seeks to improve the living conditions of the residents and revalue the historical and architectural heritage, affecting 5,007 dwellings and combining the characteristics of the historical centre with urban growth. The plan promotes social and cultural diversity, gender equality and covers equipment, mobility and security needs, involving citizens in technical and administrative solutions.

Date

  • 2002: Implementation

Stakeholders

  • Granada City Hall

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Granada, Spain

Description

The Albaicín is a neighbourhood located in the centre of Granada. It is one of the most visited and most touristic, with a high heritage value, classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site since 2007. However, its state of conservation, including serious situations of substandard housing, motivated the development of the project for the Integral Rehabilitation of the Albaicín. This project, initiated in 2002, seeks to improve both the living conditions of the residents and to revalue and recover parts of the historical and architectural heritage.

To this end, the plan establishes a comprehensive intervention affecting 5,007 dwellings, combining the unique characteristics of the historic centre with the growth of the urban fabric. The plan also focuses on maintaining the social and cultural diversity of the ethnic minorities present in the neighbourhood and promoting gender equality, while considering the needs of the inhabitants in terms of facilities, mobility and perception of safety.

The uniqueness of both the urban landscape and the architectural typologies in an environment with a high identity value makes it necessary to incorporate citizen participation in order to implement feasible solutions at a technical and administrative level in cooperation with the neighbours. The creation of a regeneration office to accompany the inhabitants and other actors in the process has been key to the development of the plan.

All of this has allowed the establishment of a "culture of rehabilitation" that has made possible the realisation of projects of high architectural quality with an impact on a larger urban scale, as is the case of the Kuna House, an example of contemporary architecture rooted in the particularities of the place. Casa Kuna is a sustainable community space in the centre of Granada, revitalising an empty 150 m² space. The project focuses on the sale of recycled second-hand goods and local craft workshops, encouraging coexistence between vulnerable groups and residents of the Albaicín. It has created opportunities and improved neighbourhood relations through workshops and training, responding to the growing discontent in the neighbourhood.

Thus the project demonstrates not only the need for housing rehabilitation for vulnerable groups, but also the importance of opening up community spaces, where people can meet and work together. Moreover, to do so in a space where the circular economy is encouraged.

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Integral Plan for the Serra d'en Mena, Barcelona

0

Integral Plan for the Serra d'en Mena, Barcelona

Mismatches Cultural suitability Vulnerable groups
Policies and regulations Local policies Planning Governance Participatory processes
Urban Design Modelos De Ciudad Urban fabrics Services and infrastructure Environments Quality Liveability Inclusion Equity

Main objectives of the project

In Santa Coloma de Gramenet (Barcelona), near the Besós river, an ambitious rehabilitation project is being carried out in the Serra d'en Mena area. This plan seeks to improve the quality of life of the residents, many of whom are elderly and have limited resources, facing problems of energy poverty and structural deficiencies in their homes. The intervention includes improvements in the energy efficiency of the buildings, complex negotiations between the local administration and the communities of owners, and social projects such as the time bank to strengthen community cohesion.

Date

  • 2007: En proceso

Stakeholders

  • Santa Coloma de Gramanet City Council

Location

City: Barcelona
Country/Region: Barcelona, Spain

Description

The area of action is located in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, a municipality in the province of Barcelona close to the Besós river park. The Besós axis is known to be one of the most vulnerable areas in Spain and with the highest concentration of challenges in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. For years, efforts have been intensified in comprehensive neighbourhood rehabilitations in this area, which spans five municipalities and faces various social, natural and urban barriers.

The Serra d'en Mena plan focuses on the rehabilitation of an area that includes 360 dwellings and 26 premises, mostly built between 1968 and 1974 during a period of disorganised urban growth that caused multiple problems. One of the main objectives is to improve the quality of life and health of the residents, many of whom are elderly people with low pensions and suffer from fuel poverty due to inefficient housing.

These neighbourhoods, located on the municipal border with Badalona, have a vulnerable and ageing population, as well as significant structural deficits such as the lack of lifts and accessibility for people with reduced mobility. The location on a mountain aggravates the problems of accessibility on foot and by public transport, in addition to the deficiencies in terms of the healthiness of the dwellings. The plan aims to reverse all of this by improving the urban space, making it accessible, and acting on the housing in the neighbourhoods (some of which are in a critical situation of substandard housing and unhealthy conditions).

To address these challenges, a public intervention has been implemented in several phases, focusing on improving the interior comfort of the buildings and revitalising the identity and urban landscape. This process has required complex management and negotiations with the owners' communities to reach agreements on funding and intervention. In addition, social projects such as the time bank have been launched to involve citizens.

It is remarkable how improvements in the energy efficiency of residential structures not only improve the comfort of residents, but also have a positive impact on the perception of the urban landscape and the quality of life in the urban environment.

Links

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Neighborhood regeneration of Santa Adela, Granada

0

Neighborhood regeneration of Santa Adela, Granada

Mismatches Vulnerable groups
Policies and regulations Local policies Regulation Global frameworks Governance Participatory processes

Main objectives of the project

Santa Adela, a neighbourhood that emerged on the southern outskirts of Granada in the late 1950s after the 1956 earthquake, has faced construction problems due to its rapid development. Now one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in the city, it has been the subject of a comprehensive urban reform plan that seeks to improve the habitability and quality of life of its residents without displacing the original inhabitants. Public intervention has included the renovation and reconstruction of residential areas, the rehabilitation of existing buildings with a focus on energy efficiency and accessibility, as well as socio-educational programmes and participatory processes.

Date

  • 2000: En proceso

Stakeholders

  • Granada City Hall

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Granada, Spain

Description

Santa Adela, a neighbourhood on the southern outskirts of Granada, emerged in the late 1950s in response to the 1956 earthquake in the city, initially housing the victims. Despite its peripheral origin, it has become one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in Granada, although it presents construction pathologies due to the urgency of its development.

The urban reform plan in Santa Adela seeks primarily to improve the habitability and quality of life of its residents, promoting social integration and socio-economic revitalisation without displacing the former inhabitants. A comprehensive public intervention has been implemented in five areas, including the renovation through demolition and reconstruction of some residential areas, as well as the rehabilitation of existing buildings in a better state of conservation, with a focus on energy efficiency and accessibility. These physical actions are complemented by socio-educational programmes and participatory processes that ensure the inclusion of residents in identifying the needs of the environment.

The combination of interventions ranging from demolition of part of the urban fabric to rehabilitations, together with participatory processes, stands out as one of the most significant aspects of this initiative. This approach has been possible thanks to a collaborative management between local social entities and the public administration, which has adapted the financing schemes to the socio-economic reality of the area's residents.

Links

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Regeneration of the seafront of Gijon, Spain

0

Regeneration of the seafront of Gijon, Spain

Policies and regulations Local policies Planning
Urban Design Modelos De Ciudad Urban fabrics Environments Quality Liveability

Main objectives of the project

Gijón's seafront, previously marked by irregular urban sprawl and poor housing conditions, has undergone a significant transformation thanks to the collaboration between the city council and the Municipal Foundation for Social Services. Programmes such as the Plan de Erradicación del Chabolismo (1984) and the Plan General de Ordenación Urbana (1985) have rehoused residents of irregular settlements in decent housing, improving diversity and social integration and revitalising the seafront. In addition, new public spaces have been created, especially in heritage areas such as Cimadevilla, and a transition to a service economy has been promoted, all through effectively integrated planning tools.

Date

  • 1984: En proceso

Stakeholders

  • Gijon City Council

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Gijón, Spain

Description

The situation of Gijón's seafront was characterised by irregular urban sprawl and poor living conditions. Faced with this panorama, the city council, in collaboration with the Fundación Municipal de Servicios Sociales, implemented a series of programmes aimed at improving the urban fabric and eliminating irregular settlements in the area. These programmes included the Plan de Erradicación del Chabolismo (1984) and the Plan General de Ordenación Urbana (1985), both aimed at revalorising the area.

As a result of these strategies, a dynamic of displacement began, re-housing the residents of these settlements in "decent quality" housing integrated into the urban fabric. This process has promoted increased diversity and social integration, as well as improving the city's waterfront.

Likewise, new public spaces have been transformed and created, trying to keep the local population in the same areas, especially in areas with greater heritage value such as the old Fishermen's quarter of Cimadevilla. This intervention has had a multiple impact, managing to eradicate shantytowns, improve living conditions and the habitability of the urban environment, and establish new environments that have renewed the façade of the city.

In addition, the economic transformation of Gijón towards a service economy has begun. All these strategies have been developed through a series of admirably integrated planning tools.

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Asertos, Alicante

0

Asertos, Alicante

Mismatches Services Vulnerable groups
Policies and regulations Local policies Global frameworks Governance Participatory processes
Financing
Urban Design Modelos De Ciudad Urban fabrics Services and infrastructure Environments Quality Liveability Inclusion Equity
Promotion and production Favelas/Slums

Main objectives of the project

Asertos is a participatory local development programme originating in the Valencian Community, Spain. The aim is to accompany people and communities in vulnerable neighbourhoods in the improvement of their homes and streets. We use these material improvements to foster the construction of strong and self-sufficient communities.

Date

  • 2017: Implementation

Stakeholders

  • Architect: Quatorze
  • Architect: Arquitectos sin fronteras

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Alacant / Alicante, Spain

Description

In many regeneration projects in vulnerable neighbourhoods, there is little involvement of local residents. Generally, small spaces for participation are opened up or a superficial accompaniment is offered. In the end, the main objective is to rehabilitate a few houses. However, Asertos' radical vision is based on the idea that housing is only a means to build better, more inclusive and resilient communities. Therefore, they start from community action to promote new neighbourhoods.

The premise is that regeneration should not come from outside the neighbourhood. On the contrary, residents must be empowered to drive the regeneration of their homes and public spaces. In this way, external resources dedicated to the improvement of housing and common spaces also serve to reinforce the social cohesion of the community.

Assertions are accompanied by collective action and social involvement in order to develop specific projects that make it possible:
- Improve coexistence between neighbours through participation.
- Attend to the needs of the dwellings through comprehensive refurbishments driven by the residents themselves.
- Generate a local economy to teach trades, generate income, open up new economic opportunities or provide new jobs and resources to the community.

All this is based on the Asset-Based Community Development methodology, promoted in Europe by Nurture Development. Based on the discovery of the local resources that the community possesses (skills, passions, interests, places, associations, businesses, stories, etc.), we set up a Neighbourhood Resource Bank. With these ingredients, we work on identifying shared needs to connect and mobilise these resources. Through this process of community building, communities move towards a position of power and autonomy, avoiding excessive professionalism and welfarism, and gaining in health and well-being.

Thus, the aim is not only to rehabilitate housing, but also to generate a better and more robust economy, associative fabric and coexistence than when the project began.

It is one of the most radical community action projects ever carried out in Spain, applied to urban regeneration. Although the project began in the Alicante's "Barrio del Cementerio", they are now also working in other highly vulnerable parts of the city.

Links

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Centro sociocomunitario de la Cañada Real, Spain

0

Centro sociocomunitario de la Cañada Real, Spain

Mismatches Location Cultural suitability Diversity Vulnerable groups
Urban Design Services and infrastructure Quality Liveability Inclusion Participatory processes
Promotion and production Innovation Favelas/Slums

Main objectives of the project

La Cañada Real, an informal settlement in Madrid (Spain), faces major social, economic and housing challenges. The community and the city council, after two failed attempts, succeeded in implementing a socio-community center through a public-social co-management project. This project involved more than 1,200 people, including minors, social entities, a penitentiary and universities, in a participatory construction process. Although not focused on housing, the center improves the livability of the neighborhood, encourages self-building and revitalizes the community, making the area more dignified and livable.

Date

  • 2019: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: Santiago Cirugeda
  • Architect: Recetas Urbanas

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Madrid
Country/Region: Madrid, Spain

Description

La Cañada Real is a slum settlement on the outskirts of Madrid, following the ancient transhumant route of "la Cañada", which encompasses a 15 km long area of shantytowns. The social, economic and housing challenge in this area is enormous, with most residents living in self-managed constructions and without access to electricity. In addition, they lack community centers for training and assistance. For these reasons, this project was launched. Although it does not focus on housing, it offers opportunities to improve the livability of the neighborhood and help its residents to progress, making possible a different "living" than the one that existed before the project.

Faced with the urgency of intervening in the Cañada Real, the largest informal settlement in Spain, the community and the city council of Madrid collaborated and drew up specifications for "the joint contracting of the supply, assembly and drafting of technical documents necessary for the implementation of a non-permanent housing structure". The tender was unsuccessful on two occasions. We applied for the third call, already known for another public project carried out in Madrid, although not yet legalized, with the experience and the intention of involving and taking care of the largest number of direct or indirect users of the future social facility.

The methodology starts by approaching the surrounding educational centers, where most of the minors who live in the Cañada Real are located. In addition, house-to-house visits are made to all the families in the sector where the project is located. We also invite social entities and neighborhood associations to participate, as well as the new entities that are being formed. Knowing that there are neighbors deprived of liberty (also future users), we decided to collaborate with those who are in the Soto del Real penitentiary center, where, as in other spaces, slabs, walls, trusses, roof panels and window boxes are prefabricated, which will later be assembled at the official construction site. For all these reasons, our construction site sign reads: "All persons not involved in the construction work are allowed to enter".

That more than 1,200 people, including some 600 minors, 17 social entities, 1 penitentiary, 3 universities and many volunteers, are part of the participatory construction protocol of the socio-community center, does not leave the Recetas Urbanas team indifferent. It is the first experiment with a new public-social co-management regulation.

All the social clauses that this methodology implements - and that were not in the original technical specifications - make this project much more surprising and risky. It is important to mention that the process has been accompanied by technicians from the different administrations involved, who have made up for this initial lack in the drafting of the project bases, collaborating and providing solutions with a perfect understanding of the needs and morphological changes of the project (as happened, for example, with the increase of built square meters and the involvement of users in the work).

The different actors have understood the need for public-social co-management, passing through a shared and creative technical resolution by both parties. Finally, thanks to the impetus and the desire to participate, we obtained two workshops of 45 m² and one of 30 m², a community space of 70 m² and 90 m² of self-sufficient offices and bathrooms, all this without increasing the budget. Part of the success is due to the reuse of materials, including those from Madrid's municipal warehouses.

Although it is not a housing intervention, the construction of this socio-community center in Cañada Real makes it possible to "inhabit" a place that is often uninhabitable. The meeting between neighbors and community action improves the neighborhood, teaches self-building techniques and makes the neighborhood more alive and dignified.

Links

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España