Continent: Europe

198 Social Housing units

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198 Social Housing units

Main objectives of the project

This housing project won first prize in a competition of design and building teams, in which constructive innovation was an essential premise.

Date

  • 1995: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: Manuel de las Casas

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Madrid
Country/Region: Spain

Description

The apartment blocks, each with five levels, house four units per floor in a linear scheme, with the majority of the 198 dwellings open to two façades. In order to shorten the period of construction, prefabricated concrete panels were employed in the enclosure, its large scale and meticulously designed joints dividing the facades into a lively pattern. Unity in the whole is obtained by combining the comb-like formation of some of the buildings with the perimetric situation of others, thus visibly closing the site. The importance attributed to the garden and other open spaces is noted in the careful paving and colorist, ceramic tile cladding of the skylights protruding out from the parking garage.

Authors:

Fundació Mies van der Rohe Barcelona

The Slottet Housing Group

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The Slottet Housing Group

Main objectives of the project

A housing group of three 4- and 5 story buildings inspired by, and with concern for the urban qualities of the surrounding villa-like multistory residential quarters - a contemporary interpretation of the the urban villa motif.

Date

  • 2000: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: Matt White
  • Architect: Henrik Jais-Nielsen

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Sweden

Description

Slottsvången is a housing group just outside the centre of Helsingborg. The group consists of three buildings of 4 and 5 floors, and contains a total of 34 flats. The top floors of the three buildings are designed as penthouses. The surroundings, which inspired the design of the new project, consist of the monumental school Slottsvångsskolan and an area with multi-family housing that resemble single-family houses. The design of the new housing group is an interpretation of the motif the urban villa, or single-family house, in a park with a large area of well-kept grass.
Slottsvången is a group of residential buildings located approximately 600 m from the center of Helsingborg. 34 apartments are distributed in three buildings of 4 and 5 floors. The top floors are designed as penthouses, with reclusive façades and large roof terraces. The surrounding area consists of a large school of monumental character, the Slottsvångsskolan, as well as a cohesive area of villa-like apartment buildings. It is to a certain extent the vicinity and the concern of these surroundings that motivates the chosen design. It allows for sight lines, lets in the sun in the neighboring streets and gardens, and is a contemporary interpretation of the motif the urban villa. The houses are characterized by large patios with varied placement, mutually offset so that they all catch the sun. The façades are made of lightweight walls plastered white, with touches of natural colored cement composite panels, mounted with edges horizontally overlapping, as clapboards.
Below the two larger houses along the St. Peder’s street is a garage, technical areas and storage units.

Authors:

Fundació Mies van der Rohe Barcelona

Renovation Student Housing Calslaan

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Renovation Student Housing Calslaan

Main objectives of the project

Radial renovation of student housing blocks on campus of the Twente University of Technology.

Date

  • 1997: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: Dick van Wageningen
  • Architect: Felix Claus

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Netherlands

Description

The brief was to change the organisation of the buildings. Gropus of eighteen studentrooms were to be reorganised
Part of a complex of student flats built in the 1960s on the campus of the Twente University of Technology has undergone a radical renovation. In the original set-up, twenty students were housed in each block which had a communal kitchen on the ground floor. In the converted buildings each floor contains five or six student rooms plus a common room with adjoining kitchen. In the centre of each block is a spiral staircase. The front and rear elevations were moved outwards so that the students’ rooms are somewhat larger than before, although they remain tiny. In stark contrast to the niggardly proportions of the living space, is the generous impression made by the complex as a whole. Structuralist illegibility has made way for a crystal-clear outward form. The deep-set vertical windows give the white-stuccoed architecture a stately air. The marble cladding of the entrance and the heavy toughened-glass entrance doors lend the very basic life of a student an uncustomary distinction. Whereas the original linked cubes gave the impression of being part of an endlessly repeatable structure, the renovated blocks convey a sense of autonomy.

Authors:

Fundació Mies van der Rohe Barcelona

WoZoCo

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WoZoCo

Policies and regulations
Urban Design
Promotion and production
Ownership and tenure

Main objectives of the project

The client, a large housing corporation, wanted 100 units for elderly people with a gallery-type circulation. The units however did not fit the site in an acceptable way. A half joking solution whereby the houses that would not fit inside the gallery block were glued to the outer side of the volume drew attention and was developed.

Date

  • 1997: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: Nathalie de Vries
  • Architect: Winy Maas
  • Architect: Jacob van Rijs

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Amsterdam
Country/Region: Netherlands

Description

To maintain adequate sunlight in the surrounding buildings, only 87 of the 100 units could be realized within the slab. Where could the remaining 13 dwellings be positioned? If they were put elsewhere on the site, the open space would be further reduced. A deeper slab with narrower units did not seem possible. The North-South orientation of the block meant that the generator had to be a 7.20 meter module. By ?cantilevering? the remaining 13 units from the north façade, they are literally suspended in the air. The hanging East-West orientated types complete the North-South dwellings in the block with a view over the adjacent meadow. An economic layout for the main slab could lead to savings of 7 to 8% of the cost, enough to compensate for the 50% more expensive hanging units.
The Spartan gallery flat becomes acceptable. Each gallery is given a different perspective. By changing window positions, balcony sizes and varying balcony materials, the different flats acquire their own character. With the party walls constructed 8 cm thicker than structurally necessary (for sound insulation) it became possible to use this extra thickness for the connection of the cantilever trusses without having to increase the weight of the load-bearing walls.When the project was completed, we were told, that we had realized the social housing project with the lowest building-costs in Amsterdam (applause). Almost 10 years later, averagely 2-3 touring-cars and numerous taxi s and rent-a-bikes with architectural tourist now visit the outskirts of the so called western garden cities to see the hanging houses of Amsterdam.

Authors:

Fundació Mies van der Rohe Barcelona

Colocassides Residence

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Colocassides Residence

Main objectives of the project

A mountain weekend home for a couple, which has a great interest in music, cooking and nature.

Date

  • 1995: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: Haris Hadjivassiliou
  • Architect: Vassilis Trooussiliou

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Cyprus

Description

The brief asked for a comfortable holiday home with a spacious living and dining spaces where the owners could relax, read and appreciate the vineyard vistas of distant melting horizon.

The programme requested to incorporate the master bedroom to the living and dining zones, while the guest living quarters should be isolated in a different floor.
The steep site is surrounded by verdant pine forest where minimum construction is permitted. The topography, orientation as well as the programmatic requests suggested an elongated house embedded in earth (minimum cut and fill) in which all spaces are organized linearly looking south to the uninterrupted vistas.

In addition the typology of the adjacent stone vine terraces confirm the building form with a flat roof. Flat roofs ar indigenous in the surrounding villages for drying grapes.

Structurally and functionally this house is defined by a series of five cube outlines. The resulting rectangular volume is dissected by a curved retaining wall, which holds the land behind. Circulation happens in the resulting space, which is illuminated from above with natural light.
The “piano nobile” (first floor) accommodates main living spaces and master bedroom whereas the ground floors comprise guest area, utilities and garage.

All structural elements are of fair-faced concrete, its finish reveals the rich pattern of the timber surface. All dividing brick walls are rendered to the soil colour of the adjacent slopes. Most of the materials are left to their natural state.

In all three dimensions the golden ratio principles were employed. The facades were derived from the plans by way of dynamic symmetry.

Authors:

Fundació Mies van der Rohe Barcelona

Orcasitas Settlement

1

Orcasitas Settlement

Financing Public funding Sustainable development financing
Urban Design Environments Quality Liveability Inclusion Equity Regulación Técnica Participatory processes

Main objectives of the project

Improving energy efficiency and comfort in buildings and housing

Date

Stakeholders

Location

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

Description

The case of the Poblado Dirigido de Orcasitas is one of these good examples. Thanks to the impetus of the Guetaria Neighbourhood Association of the Poblado Dirigido and the strong commitment and leadership of its president, Manuela Navarro, 107 blocks of flats and 62 single-family houses are immersed in an interesting refurbishment process with the aim of improving their energy efficiency.
Fifty buildings have already been completely refurbished, 16 are currently under construction and the rest are awaiting the start of work, which in all cases will be carried out with European aid and subsidies (Next Generation funds) and from Madrid City Council. 3,127 families in this poor neighbourhood in the south of Madrid will benefit from this urban transformation, improving their quality of life and reducing energy-related costs. So far, 1,640 families have already benefited.

Today, the Poblado Dirigido de Orcasitas has become the first near-zero energy neighbourhood in Spain. Thanks to the mobilisation of the neighbours, the works undertaken to remove parapets, asbestos and install thermal insulation have achieved a 58% reduction in CO2 emissions. Of course, they have also improved the energy rating of the properties from E to C, with a corresponding increase in the value of the homes as a result of the improvements.
In addition to the comfort gained in the properties, which maintain a constant temperature of 19 degrees inside, residents report significant savings on their energy bills as a result of the refurbishment work.

Between 60 and 70% of these works have been subsidised by the Madrid City Council, while the remaining 30% have been financed by credit institutions, a channel specialised in refurbishment and rehabilitation of UCI (Unión de Créditos Inmobiliarios), an entity specialised in sustainable housing financing.

Links

Authors:

AHA Affordable Housing Activation

Shipboy Housing

1

Shipboy Housing

Policies and regulations
Urban Design
Promotion and production

Main objectives of the project

Date

  • 1995: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: Ritva Mannersuo
  • Architect: Pekka Helin

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Helsinki
Country/Region: Finland, Helsinki

Description

Authors:

Fundació Mies van der Rohe Barcelona

Dianas Have Housing Complex

1

Dianas Have Housing Complex

Mismatches
Policies and regulations
Urban Design

Main objectives of the project

The main objectives of the 1989 housing scheme competition near Horsholm's historical town center, involving Vandkunsten and five other architectural offices, centered on seamlessly integrating with the extraordinary natural setting. The design aimed to create a paradisiacal forest atmosphere within an urban housing area while addressing the challenge of inserting itself as a transitional wedge between different housing types to the east and west. Emphasizing respect for the surroundings and the site's unique ambiguities, the project sought a harmonious blend of inspiration, context sensitivity, and thoughtful urban planning.

Date

  • 1992: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: Michael Sten Johnsen
  • Architect: Svend Algren
  • Architect: Steffen Kragh
  • Architect: Jens Thomas Arnfred

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Denmark

Description

In the spring of 1989, six architectural offices, including Vandkunsten were invited to participate in a design competition for a housing scheme on an extraordinary site near the historical town center of Horsholm.

When the treetops and low foliage block out the view of the surrounding properties, and one stands in one of the small clearings, and almost paradisiacal forest atmosphere can be experienced, one that is rarely found so close to an urban housing area. To be in an almost untouched natural setting, so close to Horsholm’s center is one of the subtle ambiguities of this “place”.
Another ambiguity or perhaps even a double entendre arises from the existing buildings to the east and west of the site. This exclusive property forms a transition between the high-lying, old villas on large tracts to the east, and the very distinctive housing blocks to the west. This situations, in which the new scheme is forced to insert itself as a wedge between two quite different housing types, was a decisive factor in planning the scheme.

Aside from the inspiration provided by the atmosphere of the place, and the respect for the surrounding housing, a number of circumstances had an influence on disposition of the main plan.

Authors:

Fundació Mies van der Rohe Barcelona

Daidalos Tourist Resort

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Daidalos Tourist Resort

Mismatches
Financing
Urban Design

Main objectives of the project

Diadalos, a tourist village on Kos Island, harmoniously integrates with the Aegean landscape through its adaptive architecture. Divided into private, communal, and staff zones, the design prioritizes privacy, sea views, and respect for the site's topography. By eschewing repetitive hotel patterns, it aims to authentically capture the spirit of Greek Island architecture.

Date

  • 1992: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: Nikos Valsamakis

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Greece

Description

Diadalos is a tourist village designed for 1000 people and located on Kos, one of the Greek Dodecanese Islands. The village is built on a plateau at 90m. elevation overlooking the sea to the south. The main design idea was the creation of an architecture that is well adapted to the physical and cultural identity of the place. Specifically, this architecture would take advantage adapted to the physical and cultural identity of the place. Specifically, this architecture would take advantage of the landscape, respect local topography and climate, and draw inspiration from the spatial qualities of the settlements in the Aegean. With the use of the simplest formal devices and contemporary means of construction, the design seeks to recapture the spirit of the architecture of the Greek Islands, and to bring out the quality of the Aegean landscape without resorting to the use of borrowed features and figures. This design approach also helps to transform the repetitive architectural patterns that are often associated with the architecture of hotels. The resort is divided into three zones.
The first provides private accommodation, the second consist of communal facilities while the third is that of the staff accommodation. There are two residential types, namely single-bedroom or two-bedroom family units. All units have a private verandah. Rather than opt for free standing pavilions, units are linked to form single or double-storey terraces of varying configurations. The terraces define an irregular pattern of narrow pedestrian streets, covered walkways and enclosed gardens. The principles governing the layout include the provision of privacy, the creation of views to the sea and respect for the slope, contours and orientation of the site. The resulting variety of spatial relationships gives a distinct identity to each point of the arrangement.

Authors:

Fundació Mies van der Rohe Barcelona

Social Housing at Marianella

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Social Housing at Marianella

Policies and regulations
Financing
Promotion and production

Main objectives of the project

The Marianella project (1983-1988) in Naples focused on rebuilding post-1980 earthquake. Objectives involved transforming a serial-type plan into dynamic urban interventions, creating three-floor residential blocks with courtyards. Using the French prefabrication system, it successfully addressed both housing needs and the reintegration of the outskirts.

Date

  • 1989: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: Franco Purini
  • Architect: Aldo Aymonino
  • Architect: Laura Thermes

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Naples
Country/Region: Italy, Naples

Description

The idea behind the project for a block in Marianella, a center of the outskirts of Naples, consists in making react a type-morphological plan of serial nature, with the outline of the area, considered as a perimeter on which are projected different conditions of the context. In contact with such a outline, which is configured as an active margin, the model undergoes a series of subtractions that are proposed as architectural variations of the plan. It is subtracted so to the repetition inherent in the initial model by purchasing a geometric and plastic variability, which results in an increase of the complexity of the urban intervention.
The intervention for sixtyfour accommodation in Marianella, in the metropolitan area of Naples, was designed in 1983 and completed in 1988 after the earthquake of 1980, an event that ruined not only the historical center of the city but also the peripheral expansions. The project was thought both to be to rebuild a number of destroyed houses and to reconnect separate parts of the peripheral tissue. A urban fabric in which was spread a courtyard typology, which gave rise to complex residential units designed to accommodate families of farmers in the Neapolitan countryside. The project has taken this typological matrix, obviously transformed, proposing a series of residential blocks of three floors, organized around two types of courtyards. On the larger courtyards overlook houses with continuous balconies supported by iron pillars; the smallest include the stair’s towers which, through four gangways, distribute eight apartments for each floor. The residential blocks are made with the French prefabrication system “banches e tables” and then plastered. The stairs have an iron structure covered with tuff. Also the portals of entry to the courts are made with tuff.

Documents

Authors:

Fundació Mies van der Rohe Barcelona