Tetris Apartments, Ljubljana

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Tetris Apartments, Ljubljana

Mismatches Location Diversity
Urban Design Quality Liveability
Promotion and production Public promotion

Main objectives of the project

The Tetris building in Slovenia features a façade resembling the Tetris game and is oriented at a 30-degree angle to reduce noise from a nearby highway. The building’s design includes flexible floor plans, with only the outer walls being structural, allowing for adaptable living spaces.

Date

  • 2005: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: OFIS Architects

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Ljubljana, Slovenia

Description

After the collapse of Yugoslavia, Slovenia underwent significant economic transformations, which also affected its housing policies. The pressures of global markets and speculative practices further exacerbated the housing situation, prompting Slovenia to develop comprehensive housing strategies. A key component of this effort has been the restoration and development of public housing stocks, exemplified by the Tetris building.

The Tetris building earned its name due to the appearance of its elevations, which many people likened to the iconic shapes of the Tetris game. The design of the façade is straightforward, reflecting the organization of the floor plans. Given its location adjacent to a busy highway, the building’s apartments and balconies are oriented at a 30-degree angle towards the quieter, south-facing side. This strategic orientation minimizes noise and enhances the living experience.

Future plans include the construction of two additional blocks on the longitudinal sides of the Tetris building, which means there will be no direct windows facing east or west. Each apartment features a view of its own balcony, and in some cases, a glazed loggia, fostering a sense of privacy and preventing direct views between opposite apartments.

The apartments in the Tetris building vary in size, ranging from 30 square meters studio flats to 70 square meters three-room apartments. Larger apartments are located on the front façades, offering better views and corner orientations. These apartments are constructed with economical yet high-quality materials, such as oak wood floors, granite-tiled bathrooms, and large windows equipped with external metal blinds.

The building’s structural concept emphasizes flexibility in floor plans. Only the walls that separate the apartment shells from the rest of the building are structural, while all other internal walls are non-structural. This allows for adaptable living spaces that can be modified according to residents' needs.

Social Housing in Elmas, Sardinia

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Social Housing in Elmas, Sardinia

Mismatches Location
Urban Design Liveability
Promotion and production Public promotion

Main objectives of the project

2+1 Officina Architettura has completed an innovative social housing project in Elmas, Sardinia. The building, with its simplified design and economical materials, has a white façade with mustard shutters and uses balconies and brise soleil for solar management. The north-south orientation and access through an inner courtyard promote energy efficiency and social integration, adapting to the local climate and environment.

Date

  • 2010: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: 2+1 Officina Architettura

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Italy

Description

Sardinia, like many islands, faces significant challenges in housing due to speculative pressures and limited space. For this reason, social housing must be enhanced and fostered, taking into consideration the needs of its people, the climate and the integration of the building in the environment. Addressing these issues, 2+1 Officina Architettura recently completed a housing project in Elmas, a small town in southern Sardinia. The new housing structure, strictly aligned along the street, stands out with its white color, acting as a canvas for the mustard-yellow shutters. These shutters, in two different sizes, create a vibrant play of open and closed spaces. Access to the various housing units is through an inner courtyard, where the more articulated southeast facade features a continuous covered balcony connecting the mesh-covered exterior staircase with different units. The facade's openings and color palette echo the street's appearance.

Certain elements, such as the 1.5-meter cantilevering balcony and the exterior staircases, are uniquely shaped to meet program requirements. The designers' expertise strips away redundant layers, emphasizing the core values of these elements. This innovative design by 2+1 challenges a market-driven approach to building practices.

The building's north-south orientation influences the layout of interior spaces, with sleeping areas placed to the north and living areas to the south. Summer solar radiation is controlled through a walkway balcony and brise soleil screen, optimized to respond to seasonal solar variations. On the north side, full shutter panels provide additional protection from cold winds.

Economic resource optimization is achieved through a simplified building geometry, careful selection of construction materials, and the use of readily available local technologies. Materials like Abet laminate Meg offer high weather resistance and reduced construction costs.

Each housing unit is accessed via an internal courtyard, served by external stairs and walkway balconies. This design enhances social security in the peripheral context of the building's location and promotes cohabitation and social integration.

Tete en l'air, Paris

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Tete en l'air, Paris

Mismatches Diversity Climate change
Urban Design Environments Quality Liveability Inclusion
Promotion and production Public promotion Innovation Materials Technology Industrialisation

Main objectives of the project

Innovatively merging historical preservation with modern eco-friendly construction, the project in north Paris features a revitalized historic building and a new wooden structure with a playful facade of plug-in boxes. A south-facing garden enhances community connection, while the use of sustainable wood significantly lowers the carbon footprint and construction costs. This project exemplifies how thoughtful design can create high-quality, socially inclusive housing.

Date

  • 2013: Construction
  • 2007: Ganador

Stakeholders

  • Constructor: SIEMP
  • Architect: KOZ Architectes

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Paris
Country/Region: France, Paris

Description

The project is situated in an old working-class neighborhood in the north of Paris on a deep and narrow plot. The preexisting building in the plot were in very poor condition. However, the brief required preserving the building on the street to retain its picturesque charm. There was a sense that the area had a rich and vibrant social life, which inspired the studio to maintain the original structure. Thus, the building serves as an example of how to create a disruptive social housing project while preserving the spirit of the previous construction.

The first goal was to create a generous garden, open to the south. This garden lies along the natural path of the inhabitants and acts as an intermediate space between the street and the privacy of their homes. All the apartment living rooms open onto this garden, connecting residents to this small piece of urban nature and fostering a sense of community. The existing building on the street side was completely renovated to meet modern living standards. It also gained a double-height porch to provide views of the garden from the street and to allow access during the construction of the new building along the garden.

The new section of the building is constructed entirely of wood, reflecting the studio's strong belief in the material's unmatched ecological and aesthetic benefits. From the ground to the roof, new solutions were devised to address structural, acoustic, and fire safety issues. This high-tech use of a low-tech material significantly surpasses current environmental standards. Despite the strict discipline required for wood construction, the playful arrangement of the plug-in wood boxes on the facade disrupts the rational order, giving the building a spontaneous character. The random positioning of the boxes makes each apartment layout unique and versatile, suitable for uses beyond bedrooms, such as home offices or gym rooms. Small courtyards at the rear provide private gardens on the ground floor and bring natural light into all the bathrooms, adding extra comfort and a home-like quality of life.

The distinctive wooden cladding further breaks up the perception of the building's volume, giving it a quiet tone and highlighting the tactile quality of the rough natural wood. This helps blend the architecture with the garden, which features an undulating wooden path and terrace, delicate trees, and a meadow of wildflowers. The garden becomes an open-air room, welcoming the small community of residents. Ultimately, the project demonstrates that social housing can promote small-scale, sensitive utopias of well-being and pride.

In conclusion, the project highlights the significant ecological and economic advantages of using wood for social housing construction. The choice of wood not only offers unparalleled environmental benefits by utilizing a renewable resource but also enhances the aesthetic and structural quality of the buildings. This sustainable approach significantly reduces the overall carbon footprint and meets stringent environmental standards. Additionally, wood construction proves to be cost-effective, allowing for innovative design solutions that promote a sense of community and well-being among residents. The project exemplifies how sustainable and affordable materials can be used to create high-quality, socially inclusive housing, setting a precedent for future developments in the sector. Moreover, it is done with a disruptive design, unusual in social housing projects.

Le Lorrain, Molenbeek-St-Jean, Belgium

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Le Lorrain, Molenbeek-St-Jean, Belgium

Mismatches Location Diversity
Urban Design Environments Quality Liveability
Promotion and production Public promotion Innovation Materials

Main objectives of the project

The renovation of the former Brumétal scrap metal dealership by MDW Architecture in Brussels transformed it into a social housing complex featuring a four-flat building and three maisonettes. Using industrial materials to honor its past, the project opens up the plot, creating a wide communal space and promoting a sense of community. The design includes various housing types arranged around a central courtyard, with private gardens and recessed entrances. Elevated maisonettes and strategic layout changes maximize light exposure, blending contemporary architecture with the site's industrial heritage.

Date

  • 2011: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: MDW

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Belgium, Brussels

Description

This project involves renovating the former Brumétal scrap metal dealership into a social housing complex, consisting of a four-flat building connected by a large communal open space to three maisonettes at the rear. Belgian practice MDW Architecture has transformed the site in Brussels using industrial materials that reference its past. The project, part of the "Maritime" district contract, opens up the previously built-up plot, allowing the street to "breathe" through a wide opening. This contemporary architectural and urban intervention aims to rejuvenate the neighborhood while preserving its industrial heritage.

The design reflects a modern approach, considering both the spirit of the place and program requirements. It includes various housing typologies: simplex, duplex, and triplex units ranging from two to four bedrooms, organized into one apartment building and three terrace houses at the rear. The focus is on architectural and environmental quality. Homes are arranged around a central courtyard with communal meeting and play areas. Each house also features a private garden and a recessed entrance to create a buffer between the front door and public space.

Given the site's enclosure by high party walls, the interior was cleared, and the maisonettes were elevated to maximize light exposure and sunlight access. These decisions also facilitated the inclusion of a garage at street level and minimized the need for extensive site depollution. On the street front, the apartments were raised and set back, creating a visual sequence between the road and the complex. Lowering the eastern party wall reduced the oppressive feeling of the interior and allowed more light to penetrate the plot.

The social housing project offers a top-tier design and a disruptive architecture setting, while maintaining the landscape and history of the plot and the sense of community.

Marina del Prat Vermell, Barcelona

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Marina del Prat Vermell, Barcelona

Mismatches Location Diversity
Urban Design Quality Liveability Inclusion
Promotion and production Public promotion

Main objectives of the project

In the Marina del Prat Vermell (Barcelona), a project stands as a model for future social housing developments, addressing both the immediate housing shortage and long-term sustainability goals. By providing high-quality, affordable housing, it plays a key role in alleviating the housing crisis in Barcelona and sets a benchmark for similar projects worldwide.

Date

  • 2023: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: Coll-Leclerc Arquitectos
  • Architect: MIAS

Location

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

Description

La Marina del Prat Vermell, an old textile colony area established in Barcelona in the mid-nineteenth century, lies south of Montjuic mountain, near the sea. The neighborhood's name, "Marina del Prat Vermell," or the Red Meadow Marina, originates from the practice of dyeing and drying fabrics on the meadows. Now, this neighborhood represents the last public land development opportunities in the densely built city of Barcelona. Consequently, La Marina has become a strategic location for the city’s government to construct social housing units, such as the 72 units designed by MIAS Architects and Coll-Leclerc Arquitectos.

The plot, shaped like a triangle formed by the streets Ulldecona, Cal Cisó, and Pontils, influenced the architectural response. The design maintains the integrity of the triangular shape in its overall organization, without compromising the clarity and rationality of the orthogonal interior distribution of the dwellings. The three vertices of the plot are preserved as three closed corners, avoiding chamfers or simplifications.

To accommodate numerous social housing units, each with two rooms and optimal ventilation, solar exposure, typology, and views, the triangle is divided with two patios and two passages oriented from north to south, creating five volumes. The eastern and western corners house unique dwellings. Instead of using a layout with an interior triangular block courtyard, which would be too small and lead to an excess of north-facing dwellings, the proposal includes blocks of four corner dwellings, ensuring the two hours of solar exposure required by regulations between 10 am and 2 pm.

The perception of the complex varies depending on the viewpoint: from the eastern and western corners, it appears as a single unit block with gaps, while from the southern façade, five volumes are visible, allowing sunlight to penetrate through the passages at midday. This design avoids a continuous 92-meter façade and provides a smooth but intricate volume. The block's materialization or dematerialization changes based on the observer's position.

In summary, the building achieves a balance between being compact and porous. It is compact due to the triangle's geometry influencing its volumetrics, and porous due to the rationalized division into equivalent blocks. Each floor accommodates twelve residences, all featuring a corner layout, granting every unit dual orientation, ventilation, and complete solar exposure.

The material selection aims to minimize the building's carbon footprint by using lighter components and avoiding excavation in contaminated industrial soils. The facades feature alternating vertical strips of glass and ribbed GRC (fiber-reinforced concrete), red-colored and 17 mm thick, evoking the folds of fabrics drying on the meadow. Transported and positioned with their 120 mm metal frames, they are insulated on the inner face to ensure low thermal transmittance of 0.24 W/m2 K. The open corners have wide terraces that follow the envelope's geometry, protected by Gradhermetic louvers. The reinforced concrete structure uses a Bubble-Deck system, reducing the weight of the floor slabs by 35% and allowing the creation of cantilevers to adapt to the unique site geometry. The Bubble-Deck, composed of cylindrical bodies of recycled PVC, reduces weight and carbon footprint.

The project's shape factor, with openings designed to maximize solar gain in winter and provide shading and cross ventilation in summer on all floors, results in low total energy consumption of 8.76 kWh/m2 per year, achieving an A Rating and meeting Passivhaus standards with very low heating and cooling demands.

Ecoenergies' subway biomass network frees up the roof for the installation of a shared solar photovoltaic plant, consisting of 89 modules producing 37.8kWp, covering 51% of consumption. Vegetation is incorporated on the remaining roofs, and flowerbeds with red flowering species are planted along the access passages to promote biodiversity and mitigate the heat island effect. Additionally, bike racks are installed in these passages to encourage alternative mobility.

The importance of social housing in Barcelona cannot be overstated, especially in a city facing a deep housing crisis. With skyrocketing rents and limited space for new developments, many residents struggle to find affordable and adequate living conditions. In this context, the La Marina del Prat Vermell project emerges as a crucial intervention.

This project not only addresses the urgent need for affordable housing but does so with a forward-thinking design that enhances the quality of life for its residents. By integrating optimal conditions for ventilation, solar exposure, and dual orientation, the development ensures that each unit benefits from natural light and airflow, which are essential for healthy living environments. The use of sustainable materials and energy-efficient systems further underscores the project's commitment to environmental responsibility, reducing its carbon footprint and operational energy consumption.

De Jakoba, Amsterdam

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De Jakoba, Amsterdam

Mismatches Location Functional adequacy Diversity
Urban Design Environments Quality Liveability
Promotion and production Public promotion

Main objectives of the project

De Jakoba revitalizes Amsterdam-Noord's Overhoeks neighborhood with its innovative design, addressing the city's housing crisis. The building's inward-curving structure and wavy balconies create a unique appearance, providing 135 studio apartments, each with a distinct layout. Constructed with prefabricated light green concrete elements, the building offers reduced construction costs and faster occupancy. The elegant design features polished concrete details and warm silver-gold accents, enhancing the architectural clarity and contributing to the area's dynamic urban fabric.

Date

  • 2022: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: Studioninedots

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Amsterdam
Country/Region: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Description

Amsterdam, like many major cities, is grappling with a significant housing shortage, driven by a burgeoning population and limited space for new developments. This crisis has placed immense pressure on the city's housing market, making innovative and efficient housing solutions more crucial than ever. Amsterdam-Noord, a district known for its vibrant culture and rapid development, has become a focal point for such solutions. Among the notable projects in this area is De Jakoba Social Housing building, which injects new energy into the Overhoeks neighborhood.

Within the formal urban plan for the Overhoeks area, characterized by its un-Amsterdam, campus-like setting, De Jakoba offers a unique interpretation of the established guidelines. The urban plan mandated setbacks for buildings to minimize their perceived volume from street level. Taking advantage of this condition, the architects bent the entire volume of De Jakoba inwards, allowing the structure to stagger and curve upwards gradually, not just at the top floors but along its entire height and length. This design results in four distinct facades and wavy balconies, giving the building a recognizable appearance within its surroundings.

The building's sculptural shape ensures that each of the 135 studio apartments has a unique layout. At the heart of De Jakoba is the narrowest section, featuring an entrance passage that connects the communal garden to the street. As the building curves inward, it embraces the garden, creating a sense of shelter. The open communal garden and multifunctional spaces on the ground floor along Docklandsweg add vibrancy to the street level.

The entrance was designed to create a strong sense of arrival. Extending like a glass void over the full height of the building, the entrance offers expansive views of the collective garden and the new urban district along the IJ from all floors. The use of prefabricated facade elements allowed De Jakoba to be constructed in a very short time frame, significantly reducing construction costs and enabling residents to move into their homes much sooner.

The architecture's clarity is emphasized through the use of a single material: light green concrete. The play of lines between the horizontal bands and vertical fins of this soft green material distinguishes De Jakoba from surrounding buildings. The thin edges of the concrete panels, polished in one stroke, add attractive detailing to the facades. Powder-coated silver-gold window frames and balustrades provide a warm glow, while the subtly curved pillars create a dynamic interplay of light and shadow throughout the day.

De Jakoba not only addresses Amsterdam's pressing housing needs but also enhances the urban fabric of Amsterdam-Noord with its innovative design and vibrant community spaces. This project exemplifies how thoughtful architecture can contribute to solving the housing crisis while enriching the local environment.

Space-S, Netherlands

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Space-S, Netherlands

Mismatches Services Cultural suitability Diversity
Financing
Urban Design Quality Liveability
Promotion and production Public-private partnerships Participatory processes Self-construction Cooperatives

Main objectives of the project

On an unprecedented scale in the social rental sector, 400 future residents were involved in the design process from the very beginning. The development comprises a cluster of seven buildings, with publicly accessible communal outdoor spaces interspersed between them. The project features a diverse mix of housing types: apartments, lofts, student housing, and homes with additional space for hobbies or work. Additionally, "protected living studios" were developed and rented out in collaboration with social organizations.

Date

  • 2016: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Promotor: Woonbedrijf
  • Architect: Inbo

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Eindhoven, Netherlands

Description

Housing association Woonbedrijf acquired land in a prime location in Eindhoven: Strijp-S, a former industrial area of the internationally renowned company Philips. This area was being transformed into a vibrant, trendy city district where culture, work, design, and living intersect. Initially, Woonbedrijf was uncertain about what to do with the vacant land, especially during the economic crisis when construction was at a standstill. People were more concerned with basic survival and job security than investing in new buildings.

Initially considering the creation of office spaces, Woonbedrijf soon realized that there were already enough vacant office spaces. Instead, they decided to finance a project focused on social housing. Woonbedrijf is dedicated to building, managing, and renting high-quality living spaces at affordable rents for people with low incomes. The rental income from these homes often does not cover the foundation costs, so housing associations in the Netherlands receive state aid due to their services being of general economic interest. Woonbedrijf decided to take a customer-driven approach: rather than building homes first, then finding tenants, and subsequently creating a community, they reversed the process. They planned to develop homes in collaboration with future residents, making them co-creators in the process.

Woonbedrijf, along with its student branch Vestide, reached out to potential tenants to ask what they wanted to create at Strijp-S. They recruited tenants via Facebook with the slogan, "How do you want to live on Strijp-S? Think along, from scratch!" Hundreds of responses were received, and these individuals were invited to help formulate the DNA of the future SPACE-S.

Woonbedrijf selected Inbo to design the project with the future residents, valuing Inbo's recognition of the added value of co-creation. Inbo's ability to collaborate and design with future tenants had been proven in previous assignments.

After the Facebook call, respondents were invited to share their housing wishes and participate in creating the SPACE-S DNA. Woonbedrijf and Inbo used a communication model that included online platforms (website and Facebook) and offline channels (meetings, workshops) known as “LABS.”

The design process involved rounds where Inbo addressed specific topics raised by future residents, such as floor plans and the architecture's atmosphere and appearance. They actively engaged with residents to translate their specific needs into actionable insights for the architects. Other methods included allowing residents to design their own apartments with Styrofoam blocks and using virtual reality in Inbo's VR Lab to bring preliminary designs to life.

At the end of each round, which could last up to three months, Inbo compiled all input into “COLLECTEDS.” These conclusions formed the DNA of SPACE-S and were pivotal for the architectural design.

In the SPACE-S project, home allocation was not based on registration time but on the level of involvement. The more actively participants engaged in the project, the higher their chances of securing a home. They could earn “Matspunten” (advantage points) by attending meetings and engaging online, which increased their priority in choosing a home. This system gave tenants not only a say in the design of their future homes but also a better chance of obtaining their preferred home.

This project is unparalleled in the Netherlands in its scale (402 apartments) and in prioritizing future residents' wishes in social housing. The needs expressed by future tenants led to a neighborhood where living, working, relaxing, socializing, and pursuing hobbies were seamlessly integrated. The result was seven interconnected buildings, including a 54-meter-high residential tower, offering a mix of apartments, lofts, student residences, and homes with additional space for hobbies or work. Plu-S, an organization for protected living for young people with autism, developed and rented out various studios. The design also ensured a distribution of different housing types across the buildings, fostering a diverse community where families, students, artists, and entrepreneurs live side by side.

The construction process was straightforward, except that some apartments were left unfinished for residents to customize. Lofts were double-height, allowing residents to decide whether to add an extra floor. This approach resulted in diverse interiors that met the varied needs of residents. Communal spaces were also left unfinished, as many residents were eager to personalize these areas. A notable feature of the construction was preserving an age-old plane tree on the site, with SPACE-S built around it.

SPACE-S developed a neighborhood of 402 homes on a 30,000 m² site, catering to a close-knit community within budget constraints. Most rental prices at SPACE-S are below the rent allowance limit. On almost every floor, different housing types are mixed, including:

- 151 apartments ranging from small to large, priced from 470 to 640 euros per month (excluding 59 euros service costs);
- 61 lofts, starting at 540 euros per month (excluding 59 euros service costs);
- 44 assisted living studios with three common areas (10 for Plu-S and 34 for Futuris);
- 143 student residences, including group residences from 172 to 225 euros per month and independent units from 372 to 382 euros per month (excluding 69 euros service costs).

Chorweiler Social Housing, Cologne

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Chorweiler Social Housing, Cologne

Mismatches Functional adequacy Services
Urban Design Quality Liveability
Promotion and production Public promotion Industrialisation

Main objectives of the project

Gottfried Böhm's residential complex in Chorweiler, a key part of the new town built from 1957 onwards, exemplifies Brutalist architecture with its innovative design and exposed concrete facades. The centerpiece is a quarter-circle square bordered by a 9-storey curved apartment building with lively balconies and a ground floor featuring shops and a restaurant. Opposite this building is an L-shaped house with a pergola, and to the north, a pedestrian alley is lined with residential wings and apartments for the elderly. Böhm's design prioritizes human scale and livability, highlighting the importance of social housing in creating vibrant, community-oriented living spaces.

Date

  • 1973: Construction
  • 1966: En proceso

Stakeholders

  • Architect: Gottfried Böhm

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Cologne, Germany

Description

When planning the "new town of Chorweiler," which began construction in 1957 and stands as one of the largest satellite towns in the Federal Republic, the construction tasks were distributed among various architectural firms to achieve a diverse range of building styles. Among these, one residential complex, designed by Gottfried Böhm, stands out due to its wealth of shapes and colors, as well as its unique architectural language. This brutalist social housing complex features an innovative and bold design.

At the center of the residential complex on Ripphahnsche Strasse is a square shaped like a quarter circle. On the west side, this square is bordered by a 9-storey apartment building that follows the curve of the square. The building features a colonnade spanning the first two floors, with supports that define the structure of the façade. The dense arrangement of balconies and their vertical connections create a lively façade structure. The ground floor houses shops and a restaurant.

Opposite the 9-storey building, a house with a pergola and an L-shaped floor plan encloses the square. To the north, the square connects to a pedestrian alley. This alley is bordered on one side by residential wings, which step down in height from 9 to 7 storeys, and on the other side by two-storey apartments for the elderly.

All buildings in the residential complex are concrete structures with exposed concrete facades. Beneath the alley is a garage floor, accessible by stairs with large, green intermediate landings that also provide natural lighting for the garage.

The apartments are largely designed to be open to two opposing directions, allowing residents to experience the daily rhythm of light within their homes. The kitchens are designed as glazed rooms located in the center of the apartments. In contrast to other parts of the Chorweiler housing estate, Gottfried Böhm's ensemble is characterized by its orientation towards human scale.

Gottfried Böhm's residential complex in Chorweiler is a testament to the Brutalist tradition, showcasing bold and innovative design through its wealth of shapes, colors, and architectural language. The use of exposed concrete facades and distinctive structural elements like the colonnade and densely arranged balconies exemplifies the Brutalist aesthetic. This complex not only contributes to the architectural diversity of Chorweiler but also underscores the importance of social housing. Böhm's design emphasizes human scale and livability, with features like dual-directional openness in the apartments and naturally lit garages, enhancing the quality of life for residents. The thoughtful integration of shops, restaurants, and accessible pedestrian pathways further supports a vibrant community, illustrating how architectural excellence can serve social purposes effectively.

Cornellà Social Housing

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Cornellà Social Housing

Mismatches Functional adequacy Diversity
Urban Design Environments Quality Liveability Inclusion
Promotion and production Public promotion Materials

Main objectives of the project

Peris+Toral Arquitectes won the competition to design a building for 85 social housing units in Cornellà de Llobregat, Barcelona. The project focuses on two main axes: the design of a matrix of spaces that eliminates corridors and maximises the use of floor space through communicating rooms, and the use of wood as the main material, which allows the industrialisation of the structure, improves the quality of the construction and reduces both execution times and CO2 emissions. In addition, the building is organised around a central courtyard that acts as a communal square, promoting interaction between neighbours and guaranteeing cross ventilation and double orientation in all the dwellings.

Date

  • 2021: Construction
  • 2017: Ganador

Stakeholders

  • Architect: Peris + Toral Arquitectes

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Cornellà de Llobregat
Country/Region: Barcelona, Spain

Description

In 2017, the Barcelona office Peris+Toral Arquitectes won the ideas competition organised by AMB (the metropolitan government of Barcelona) and promoted by the public entity IMPSOL to design a project for 85 social housing units on the site formerly occupied by the emblematic Pisa cinema in the municipality of Cornellà de Llobregat, Barcelona. This project consists of a five-storey detached residential building with a wooden structure resting on a reinforced concrete ground floor for commercial and public facilities uses.

In tackling this new multi-family construction, Peris+Toral Arquitectes has highlighted two strong points in its strategy: on one hand, the design of a matrix of spaces that eliminates corridors, both private and communal, proposing communicating rooms to maximise the use of floor space; on the other, the use of wood as the principal material, which permits industrialising the structure of the building, improving the quality of the construction and reducing both execution times and emissions thanks to a totally sustainable material.

For the 10,000 m² of floor space of the new building in Cornellà de Llobregat, which houses 85 social housing units distributed over five floors, 8,300 m² of km0 wood from the forests of the Basque Country have been used. The design with communicating rooms eliminates corridors to ensure maximum use of floor space, and the use of wood favours the industrialisation of the building, improves the quality of construction and significantly reduces construction times and CO2 emissions.

The building is organised around a courtyard that articulates a sequence of intermediate spaces. On the ground floor, a portico open to the city anticipates the entrance of the building and filters the relationship between the public space and the communal courtyard, which acts as a small square for the community. Instead of having direct and independent entrances from the exterior façade to each lobby, the four vertical communication cores are located at the four corners of the courtyard, so that all the neighbours meet and converge in the courtyard-plaza. On the standard floors, the dwellings are accessed through the private terraces that make up the crown of outdoor spaces overlooking the courtyard. The general floor plan of the building is organised in a matrix of communicating rooms, with 114 spaces per floor and 543 in total, of similar dimensions, eliminating private and communal corridors to make the most of the floor plan. The server spaces are located in the central ring, while the rest of the rooms of undifferentiated use and size, of approximately 13 m², are arranged on the façade, offering different ways of living.

Another terrace in the outer crown completes the spatial sequence, connecting the spaces by means of large openings permeable to air, view and passage. The 85 dwellings are distributed in four groupings with a total of 18 dwellings per floor. Four or five dwellings are arranged around the core, so that all the typologies have cross ventilation and double orientation. The dwellings consist of five or six modules, depending on whether they have two or three bedrooms. The open and inclusive kitchen is located in the central room, acting as a distributor that replaces corridors, makes domestic work visible and avoids gender roles.

The size of the rooms offers flexibility based on ambiguity of use and functional indeterminacy, and allows for an optimal structural bay for the timber structure. In order to achieve economic viability, the volume of timber required per m² of construction has been optimised to 0.24 m³ per m² of floor area in order to achieve social housing.

22@ Social Housing, Barcelona

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22@ Social Housing, Barcelona

Mismatches Services Vulnerable groups
Urban Design Quality Liveability
Promotion and production Public-private partnerships

Main objectives of the project

The NOU LLOC Foundation's project in Barcelona's Ensanche, located in the 22@ district, faces the challenge of providing social housing in an area marked by gentrification and rising property prices. This building of 53 small social housing units (55 m² on average) is located on a chamfered plot and stands out for its innovative design that maximises space by eliminating corridors and creating a large communal courtyard. The 22@ district, known for its transformation from a former industrial zone to a modern technological hub, has made access to housing difficult due to growing demand and high costs. This social housing project not only addresses the urgent need for affordable housing in Barcelona, but also seeks to integrate the community into a dynamic and constantly evolving urban environment, thus addressing the challenges of gentrification and social exclusion.

Date

  • 2015: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: Serra-Vives-Cartagena

Location

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

Description

In Barcelona, at the beginning of the 20th century, the 22@ district was born. 22@ is an ambitious urban planning project in Barcelona that seeks to transform a former industrial area into a modern district of new technologies and knowledge. This renewal plan has boosted the creation of innovative and sustainable spaces, attracting technology companies, start-ups and research centres. However, this transformation has also generated a gentrification effect, driving up housing prices and displacing original residents. Access to housing in 22@ and Barcelona in general has become increasingly difficult, exacerbating the city's housing crisis and posing significant challenges for those seeking to reside in this booming area.

It is to address these challenges that the Serra-Vives-Cartagena building was born. The project, promoted by the social housing-oriented NOU LLOC Foundation, faces an atypical programme for a chamfered plot in the Eixample district of Barcelona: 53 small dwellings (55 m² on average) and the relevant commercial premises on the ground floor.

The plot has the particularity of having a party wall open to a newly created public space. This results in a pentagon with four open facades and a party wall. The chamfer faces north and the new façade opens to the south-east. The adjacent building forms part of a consolidated complex 28 metres deep with a façade of remarkable values.

The distribution scheme that resolves the bulk of the residential programme is summarised in two bands of different depths and opposite orientations, separated by a central courtyard and articulated by the block of vertical accesses located in the pre-existing party wall.

The greatest complexity of the project arises from the strip facing the Tánger-Ávila streets, which must respect the alignment of the chamfer, so characteristic of Barcelona's Ensanche, and maintain the precise urban continuity of 19th-century Barcelona.

Both strips are aligned with the façade and the pre-existing backdrop. Access to the different dwellings is via interior walkways that converge in the only vertical access block that benefits from the courtyards of the neighbouring building. This composition creates a large courtyard on the ground floor that opens onto calle Ávila, with the vocation of an interior communal square. The most characteristic element of the building's image is to be found in the vertical cut of the chamfer, which reflects the dialogue between the two bands and opens up the inner courtyard to the light from the north.