LIVING COLLECTIVE HOUSING

The architectural companies DATAAE, narch arquitectes, and maira arquitectes have designed a building with 47 social housing units in the Barcelona neighbourhoods of Torre Baró, adjacent to Parc de Collserola. The structure, consisting of a basement, ground floor, and five upper floors, is made up of a continuous, shallow perimeter of patio-style apartments, surrounding a central collective atrium. This large communal space serves as a mandatory passage for residents, taking them from the street to their homes. Thanks to its bioclimatic roof, which can open, close, and shield the area from the sun, the atrium acts as a greenhouse in winter and a highly ventilated shaded area in summer.

Each unit features a 13m² terrace-gallery space equipped with SOLEAL sliding doors, featuring four panels and two tracks, finished in matte silver anodized aluminium. This design element has contributed to creating a passive energy-efficient zone.

Inside the apartments, versatile 10m² rooms have been designed, all identical in size to facilitate changes in use and reduce transitional spaces. The layout is inclusive, with an open-plan kitchen connected to the living area, and access to the laundry and bathrooms is from the central area of the apartment.

This new building will serve as a permanent home for some families relocated from the neighbourhoods, who currently live in precarious housing conditions, and have a strong connection to the surrounding mountainous area.  The design strategically incorporates natural spaces, adapting them to the elevated patio-house typology. Uniquely, the building features a single typology of patio apartments connected to communal areas, where all rooms are located along the facade, benefiting from natural light and views of the surrounding environment.