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(Building selected among the 100 pre-finalists for the XI Spanish Architecture Biennial 2010)
Between historical responsibility and new ways of living.
The Barri dels Velluters is a historic neighborhood that is highly degraded, yet attractive and feasible. The project assumes responsibility for its surroundings and responds to current housing issues with a contemporary expression. The assimilation and perversion of municipal ordinances become fundamental drivers of the design process. The tripartite composition is disconnected from the altimetric distribution of the building’s floors; the plinth rises halfway up the first-floor bays. The vertical superposition of the facade openings is interpreted as the continuity of axes around which openings of one size and twice that size are alternately located.
The cornice finish disappears around the corner, creating different conditions for both streets. The void-to-solid proportion of the facade plan is also altered to accommodate a new, small-scale dwelling (19 units between 30 and 50 square meters) with quality natural light. The dwellings escape their small size due to their generous relationship with the exterior. The window openings, due to their frequency and proportions, dematerialize the facade wall and are freed from the interior compartmentalization of the dwellings.
