Social Housing in Ibiza
Basic information
Project Title
Social Housing in Ibiza
Full project title
Social Housing in Ibiza
Category
Regaining a sense of belonging
Project Description
The urban landscape is formed through isolated buildings placed which no identifiable masterplan or response to the local environmental factors. The architectural approach moves away from this ‘visual chaos’ to present a building which responds to the climate and takes reference from the island’s distinct way of life. The project explores the typology of traditional Ibizan construction and its logic of growth by modular aggregation.
Geographical Scope
Local
Project Region
Ibiza, Spain
Urban or rural issues
It addresses urban-rural linkages
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
EU Programme or fund
No
Description of the project
Summary
The site is located on the border of the residential area of the Ibiza marina and an area of floodplains and crops. The urban landscape is formed through the placement of isolated buildings which no identifiable masterplan or response to the local environmental factors.
Our architectural approach moves away from this ‘visual chaos’ to present a building which responds to the climate and takes reference from the island’s distinct way of life. It takes cues from the Ibizan country dwellings to create a vernacular response made up of white walls, well placed openings with solar protection, external porches with a balance of shaded areas, with a structure that can be interpreted as a series of interconnected pavilions designed to extend based on the spatial needs to those inhabiting the spaces. This reference to stacking and adding modules as a response to the programmatic needs forms the starting point of the proposal.
The final built volume is designed to maximise the external envelope and releases a void in the core of the dwelling. The resultant interior spaces are further defined and clustered around linked openings, patios and porches to create an intimate relationship between the common spaces and circulation. The final configuration is permeable to daylight and natural breeze.
The resultant system gives rise to a versatile housing typology that affords individual units access to their environmental needs without compromising the wider requirement of standardised solutions which the development of the VPO must meet.
Our architectural approach moves away from this ‘visual chaos’ to present a building which responds to the climate and takes reference from the island’s distinct way of life. It takes cues from the Ibizan country dwellings to create a vernacular response made up of white walls, well placed openings with solar protection, external porches with a balance of shaded areas, with a structure that can be interpreted as a series of interconnected pavilions designed to extend based on the spatial needs to those inhabiting the spaces. This reference to stacking and adding modules as a response to the programmatic needs forms the starting point of the proposal.
The final built volume is designed to maximise the external envelope and releases a void in the core of the dwelling. The resultant interior spaces are further defined and clustered around linked openings, patios and porches to create an intimate relationship between the common spaces and circulation. The final configuration is permeable to daylight and natural breeze.
The resultant system gives rise to a versatile housing typology that affords individual units access to their environmental needs without compromising the wider requirement of standardised solutions which the development of the VPO must meet.
Key objectives for sustainability
Passive architecture mechanisms combined with efficient installations are used to achieve excellent energy rating:
-Correct lighting, sunlight, and natural cross ventilation, resolving all dwellings with at least two different orientations
-Avoid excavations placing the car park and facilities enclosures on the ground floor and on the free surface of the plot.
-Garden areas and draining pavements on the ground floor to avoid altering the behaviour of the subsoil and water table.
-Minimize the variation of construction types and formats seeking a high degree of standardization-industrialization in the solutions.
-Control the size of the openings in the façade. Carpentry and sun protection made of FSC-certified larch wood
-Efficient installations and renewable energy: Aerothermal system to generate DHW, use of photovoltaic panels, and heat recovery system for thermal comfort in homes.
-Correct lighting, sunlight, and natural cross ventilation, resolving all dwellings with at least two different orientations
-Avoid excavations placing the car park and facilities enclosures on the ground floor and on the free surface of the plot.
-Garden areas and draining pavements on the ground floor to avoid altering the behaviour of the subsoil and water table.
-Minimize the variation of construction types and formats seeking a high degree of standardization-industrialization in the solutions.
-Control the size of the openings in the façade. Carpentry and sun protection made of FSC-certified larch wood
-Efficient installations and renewable energy: Aerothermal system to generate DHW, use of photovoltaic panels, and heat recovery system for thermal comfort in homes.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
Relationship spaces are favoured, paying special attention to intermediate spaces, prioritizing the collective over the individual. Wide, comfortable, and bright spaces that encourage a new approach to relationship in accordance with universal accessibility design criteria.
A permeable ground floor is designed that is understood as an extension of the street, as an open square, a place to interact connected with the upper floors through the central void in the core of the dwelling. The resultant interior spaces are further defined and clustered around linked openings, patios, and porches to create an intimate relationship between the common spaces and circulation.
A permeable ground floor is designed that is understood as an extension of the street, as an open square, a place to interact connected with the upper floors through the central void in the core of the dwelling. The resultant interior spaces are further defined and clustered around linked openings, patios, and porches to create an intimate relationship between the common spaces and circulation.
Key objectives for inclusion
The building is intended for social housing on a rental basis and comfortably complies with the minimum requirements demanded by the regulations.
All communications between the main entrance to the building with the public road and with the exterior common areas, including the parking lot, are made through accessible routes.
The building has an accessible route that connects the accesses from the public road with the homes, the community use areas and all the elements associated with accessible homes for wheelchair users, such as storage rooms and accessible parking spaces. For this, there is an accessible elevator that connects all floors of the building.
This building has 2 accessible homes for wheelchair users and for people with hearing disabilities, correctly complying with the applicable regulations.
All communications between the main entrance to the building with the public road and with the exterior common areas, including the parking lot, are made through accessible routes.
The building has an accessible route that connects the accesses from the public road with the homes, the community use areas and all the elements associated with accessible homes for wheelchair users, such as storage rooms and accessible parking spaces. For this, there is an accessible elevator that connects all floors of the building.
This building has 2 accessible homes for wheelchair users and for people with hearing disabilities, correctly complying with the applicable regulations.
Results in relation to category
The inhabitants live in a way more adapted to the place where they are. Mediterranean architecture is recovered, helping to transmit a sense of belonging, reconnecting with heritage and tradition. The island's lifestyle is recovered, favoring the creation of community and intergenerational exchanges.
How Citizens benefit
The client of the project is the Balearic Social Housing Institute (IBAVI). It’s a public body attached to the Mobility and Housing Ministry of the Government of the Balearic Islands, whose main objective is the promotion and rental of social housing to facilitate and improve access to housing for the region’s residents.
They act as intermediaries between the future inhabitants of the building and us, the architects. Their participation in the design has been continuous during all project phases from the beginning of the process to the construction phase, with two technicians assigned to the project who have been in direct and constant contact with us and with the future inhabitants of the building.
They act as intermediaries between the future inhabitants of the building and us, the architects. Their participation in the design has been continuous during all project phases from the beginning of the process to the construction phase, with two technicians assigned to the project who have been in direct and constant contact with us and with the future inhabitants of the building.
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Innovative character
In our case, we understand that our original thinking is the return to the origin to respond to environmental factors and programmatic needs.
REFERENCES
Our architectural approach moves away from the heterogeneous and uncharacterised urban context to present a building that responds to the climate and takes reference from the island’s distinct way of life. It takes cues from the Ibizan country dwellings to create a vernacular response made up of white walls, well-placed openings with solar protection, and external porches with a balance of shaded areas. These constructions are volumetrically perceived as a sum of interconnected pavilions designed to extend based on the spatial needs of those inhabiting the spaces. This reference to stacking and adding modules as a response to the programmatic needs of the dwellers forms the starting point of our conceptual response and further design development.
REFERENCES
Our architectural approach moves away from the heterogeneous and uncharacterised urban context to present a building that responds to the climate and takes reference from the island’s distinct way of life. It takes cues from the Ibizan country dwellings to create a vernacular response made up of white walls, well-placed openings with solar protection, and external porches with a balance of shaded areas. These constructions are volumetrically perceived as a sum of interconnected pavilions designed to extend based on the spatial needs of those inhabiting the spaces. This reference to stacking and adding modules as a response to the programmatic needs of the dwellers forms the starting point of our conceptual response and further design development.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
For the design of the project we have the participation of different specialized technical profiles:
-a quantity surveyor who was in charge of controlling the materials and the correct execution of the proposed construction solutions
-engineers who carried out the calculation of the facilities looking for their efficiency to achieve an excellent energy rating.
It was very interesting to have the knowledge of the different technical profiles and see how the project was enriched as it progressed from the interaction of the different disciplines.
-a quantity surveyor who was in charge of controlling the materials and the correct execution of the proposed construction solutions
-engineers who carried out the calculation of the facilities looking for their efficiency to achieve an excellent energy rating.
It was very interesting to have the knowledge of the different technical profiles and see how the project was enriched as it progressed from the interaction of the different disciplines.
Methodology used
HOUSING CATALOGUE
There are a total of 19 dwellings distributed over the five upper storeys. This additionally allows the design to move away from a perceived grouping of rigid unit types.
The typology of the units is generated using a square base module which contains the living, dining and kitchen areas. Further to that smaller modular units are attached accommodating the bedrooms and wet areas. A combination of these modules has been used to generate the catalogue of dwellings based on the required number of bedrooms.
By adhering strictly to the laws that govern the architecture, the resultant system gives rise to a versatile housing typology that affords individual units access to their environmental needs without compromising the wider requirement of standardised solutions which the development of the VPO must meet.
There are a total of 19 dwellings distributed over the five upper storeys. This additionally allows the design to move away from a perceived grouping of rigid unit types.
The typology of the units is generated using a square base module which contains the living, dining and kitchen areas. Further to that smaller modular units are attached accommodating the bedrooms and wet areas. A combination of these modules has been used to generate the catalogue of dwellings based on the required number of bedrooms.
By adhering strictly to the laws that govern the architecture, the resultant system gives rise to a versatile housing typology that affords individual units access to their environmental needs without compromising the wider requirement of standardised solutions which the development of the VPO must meet.
How stakeholders are engaged
The main requirements of the client were to get the maximum number of dwellings with the optimum urban use and reduce the energy use and CO2 emissions. Was very important for the client to raise an excellent energy rating, avoiding air conditioning installations and seeking comfort through passive methods.
Global challenges
The way to solve the urban implementation by solving a high-rise building taking as reference the way of building of the local tradition. Moving away from the heterogeneous and uncharacterised urban context we find, it takes cues from the Ibizan country dwellings to present a building that responds to the climate and takes reference from the island’s distinct way of life: white walls, well-placed openings with solar protection, and external porches with a balance of shaded areas.
Learning transferred to other parties
The project solve the housing catalogue through an aggregation system based on a base module to which other modules are added, a methodology is generated to generate a high-rise building that can be replicated in other situations. This system allows great versatility of typologies based on basic aggregation laws that allow adaptation to the needs of each particular case. That makes it an optimal system to be replicates in other situations due to its simplicity, versatility and wealth of possibilities.
Another point of the project that we would find interesting to replicate in other cases is the fact of looking back at the tradition and way of life of the place to respond to the urban, environmental and relationship needs between people. Connect with local heritage and traditions to help restore the feeling of belonging.
Another point of the project that we would find interesting to replicate in other cases is the fact of looking back at the tradition and way of life of the place to respond to the urban, environmental and relationship needs between people. Connect with local heritage and traditions to help restore the feeling of belonging.
Keywords
Tradition
Permeability
Relationship
Sustainability
Standardization
