At a time when access to housing is one of the greatest concerns, this project proposes affordable, high-quality architecture.
Andalusia’s largest current social housing project is based on the premise of generating city through 691 dwellings, with protected housing acting as a field for architectural and social innovation. To this end, the layout within the plot and the intermediate spaces generated by the project are essential.
The planning strategy fragments the buildable area into four residential blocks that emerge from a shared semi-basement platform, a permeable, landscaped plinth that serves as the base of the complex. This level contains community facilities, dwellings adapted for people with reduced mobility, and complementary uses, as well as incorporating native plant species along its paths, turning this space into a fully equipped garden.
The blocks are oriented north-south to take advantage of the prevailing westerly winds in this area, the most effective form of natural cooling in this climate, and to minimize the acoustic impact of the railway lines on the western boundary. The heights vary to respond to the scale of the Palacio de Congresos in the tallest block, which becomes a landmark visible from a distance, while the rest blend into the existing urban fabric.
Within the blocks themselves, the access galleries are interrupted by double- and triple-height voids, communal rooms open to the exterior that bring light, ventilation, and identity to each entrance. These spaces are the focal point in the design of these high-density blocks: places for pause and gathering that structure the collective life of the complex.
The construction system is mostly prefabricated: facade panels, modular bathrooms, and dry partition walls. This decision has direct consequences for the construction process: less waste, lower water and energy consumption during construction, and greater quality control; as well as for the building’s service life, making it easier to maintain and adapt.