Country/Region: Spain

Polígono Sur, Sevilla, Spain

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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

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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

La Mina Neighbourhood Transformation Plan, Barcelona

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La Mina Neighbourhood Transformation Plan, Barcelona

Mismatches Vulnerable groups
Policies and regulations Local policies Planning Governance Participatory processes
Urban Design Modelos De Ciudad Environments Quality Liveability Participatory processes
Promotion and production Public promotion

Main objectives of the project

La Mina, a neighbourhood in Sant Adrià del Besòs, faced high vulnerability due to its original design and socio-demographic characteristics. To reverse this, the La Mina Neighbourhood Transformation Plan ("Plan de Transformación del barrio de La Mina", in Spanish), managed by the Consorcio del Barrio de La Mina, combined management and funding models to carry out physical and socio-economic interventions. The rehabilitation of buildings to improve energy efficiency and accessibility, and the improvement of open spaces to ensure universal accessibility stand out. Institutional collaboration and citizen participation have been key to achieving coherent and effective interventions in the neighbourhood.

Date

  • 2002: En proceso

Stakeholders

  • Promotor: Consorci de la Mina
  • Promotor: INCASOL
  • Sant Adrià del Besós

Location

City: Barcelona
Country/Region: Barcelona, Spain

Description

La Mina is a neighbourhood located in the municipality of Sant Adrià del Besòs, characterised as a housing estate. Born in the mid-20th century, it was created to relocate the majority of the population that lived in the shantytowns of Somorrostro beach and other areas of the city of Barcelona. The original design of the area, together with certain socio-demographic characteristics and its location almost at the end of the Besòs river, led to a situation of high vulnerability that still persists. To reverse this situation, the "La Mina Neighbourhood Transformation Plan" was implemented, managed by the La Mina Neighbourhood Consortium. This plan has combined different management and funding models over time, focusing on two lines of action: a series of physical interventions that support socio-economic ones.

Within the interventions in the built environment, the opening of axes to improve the road network, the increase of accessibility and the provision of new facilities stand out. Particularly noteworthy are the rehabilitation of residential buildings constructed with prefabricated processes, which needed improvements in energy efficiency and accessibility, such as those located in the neighbourhood of La Mina Vieja. Improving the accessibility of buildings is synergistically related to improvements in open spaces, generating new areas that guarantee universal accessibility at the urban level. In addition, institutional collaboration and citizen participation, together with the comprehensive management of the process by the Consorcio del Barrio de La Mina, have made it possible to establish interventions that present a coherent image in the different areas intervened.

Thus, a large Rambla has been opened in the centre of the neighbourhood, new community facilities and spaces have been opened... In addition, progress has been made with INCASOL, the Catalan public housing developer, in the construction of social housing, where families from the so-called Venus Block, one of the blocks of flats pending demolition, will be rehoused in the future.

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Integral Plan for the Serra d'en Mena, Barcelona

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

Viviendas sociales 1737 (Gavà, Barcelona)

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Viviendas sociales 1737 (Gavà, Barcelona)

Mismatches Diversity Vulnerable groups
Urban Design Quality Liveability Inclusion Regulación Técnica Procesos Administrativos
Promotion and production Public promotion Materials Technology

Main objectives of the project

The innovative social housing project by H Arquitectes in Gavá, near Barcelona, demonstrates Catalonia's commitment to low-cost, high-quality housing. Adapted to a triangular plot, the building avoids dead-end corners and offers panoramic views. Apartments feature four adaptable modules and a hybrid structural system for efficiency. Exterior transitions include balconies and glazed galleries, leading to a central atrium that provides natural light and ventilation. With 136 units, the project, backed by IMPSOL, aligns with regional efforts to address housing shortages.

Date

  • 2022: Construction
  • 2017: Ganador

Stakeholders

  • Promotor: IMPSOL
  • Architect: H Arquitectes

Location

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

Description

In recent years, Catalonia has been increasing its public social housing stock with extraordinary low-cost projects. A good example of this architectural excellence is the project by H Arquitectes in Gavá, a small coastal town a few kilometres from Barcelona, between the Garraf massif and the Llobregat delta. The building adapts to the perimeter of a complicated, triangular-shaped plot, breaking the continuity at the corners to avoid dead-end corners that could generate situations of insecurity. In this way, a plot with excellent views and pleasant surroundings is achieved. The building is developed through a system of aggregation that maximises the relationship between the living spaces and the surroundings. All the rooms are exterior and have views of the Ferreres mountain range and the Llobregat Agricultural Park, an area of great environmental interest.

Each dwelling consists of four equal modules of 10.6 square metres, which can be used as living room, kitchen or bedroom. A hybrid structure of screens and concrete slabs separating the dwellings, combined with slender pillars that allow very short and efficient spans, while characterising the space of each room. On both sides of these modules, there are two bands of transition to the exterior: a balcony facing the street and a glazed gallery - where the bathrooms and storage space are located, which can also be attached to the living rooms - towards an atrium where the circulations and vertical communication cores of the whole complex are resolved. Thus, all the spaces have plenty of natural light and cross ventilation.

As explained above, three continuous rings are configured: terrace, programme and circulation, leaving the vertical communication cores inside the atrium. In this way, there are no corridors. The central atrium is a protected and slightly tempered space that ventilates the stairs and makes the dwellings more comfortable. The staircases are very compact and serve four dwellings per landing, giving a total of 136 dwellings.

As for the governance of the project, it is promoted by IMPSOL, Barcelona's public metropolitan developer. Thus, the project is part of a strategy of the city as a whole, together with its adjacent municipalities, to address the growing housing crisis that is being experienced.

The building has been largely awarded: Matilde Baffa Ugo Rivolta 2023 European Award, Shortlisted ‘EU Mies Van der Rohe Award 2024’, ‘III Premis Temps de les Arts’ 2023, Premio ex aequo ‘Premio ENOR 2023’, Premio FAD de la opinión 2023, Finalist "Premios FAD 2023", "Premio en la Bienal Española de Arquitectura y Urbanismo ‘BEAU XVI’ 2023"

Links

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Sa Pobla Social Housing, Mallorca, Spain

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Sa Pobla Social Housing, Mallorca, Spain

Mismatches Functional adequacy Vulnerable groups
Urban Design Modelos De Ciudad Quality Liveability Equity
Promotion and production Public promotion

Main objectives of the project

Sa Pobla, a small agricultural town in northern Mallorca, faces a severe shortage of affordable housing due to the island's tourism-driven speculation. In response, IBAVI commissioned Ripoll Tizón Estudio de Arquitectura to develop a social housing project that draws from local climate, character, and lifestyle. The design respects street alignment, uses modular aggregation for varied spatial configurations, and centers around an interior courtyard that enhances community interaction. This project integrates seamlessly with traditional building scales and the landscape, addressing housing needs while maintaining quality and standardization.

Date

  • 2013: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Promotor: IBAVI
  • Architect: Ripoll Tizón Estudio de Arquitectura

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Spain

Description

Sa Pobla is a small town in northern Mallorca, Spain, with a population of nearly 13,000. The municipality encompasses a fertile plain dedicated to irrigated agriculture and the albufera, a scenic and ecologically valuable area where two streams converge. Agriculture has long been the primary industry. However, Mallorca faces a significant shortage of affordable housing due to the speculative nature of its tourism industry. This shortage extends to towns like Sa Pobla that are not tourist hotspots. Consequently, residents who earn low wages from agriculture are burdened by high housing costs driven by the island's speculative pressures. In response, IBAVI, the public promoter of social housing on the island, commissioned a housing project in Sa Pobla. The competition was won by the local firm Ripoll Tizón Estudio de Arquitectura.

The social housing proposal in Sa Pobla draws from local elements such as climate, local character, and lifestyle, taking inspiration from features observed throughout the town: courtyards, filters, light, plots, the small scale of buildings, and the unique character and arrangement of each dwelling.

The project aims to emphasize the nuances and intimate scale of domestic life. It respects street alignment and acknowledges the depth of the site. The complex extends between the site’s boundaries, interacting with the party walls that define it, sometimes removing them and sometimes highlighting them, all while enveloping an interior courtyard that organizes circulation and public spaces.

Housing units are based on a single or double-height living/dining/kitchen module, to which smaller modules for bedrooms, bathrooms, and storage are added. This modular aggregation allows for various spatial configurations with the same program elements or different surfaces depending on the number of modules. This approach enables each unit to be part of a cohesive whole, offering a varied landscape rich in nuances and well-adapted to its physical conditions, without sacrificing the quality, rigor, and standardization necessary for social housing development.

The project is notable for how it adapts to the scale of traditional buildings, integrates into the landscape, and arranges the units around a courtyard that serves as a communal square.

Links

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España