Autonomo[us]

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contents project brief an urban problem population deprived housing typology

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strategy : social strategy : massing strategy : environmental plan : roof

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plan : ground plan : typical residential building section unit delineation

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elevation : south elevation : east elevation : west

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material explorations

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project brief This project revolves around the key term of autonomy; autonomy not only over the realm of domesticity but also to the urban community. The proposed cohousing project targets various differently deprived groups of people who have lost their right to the city, and need not only a place to call home, but also spaces of support and integrative socialization back into a collective. The goal is to not only convert the existing building into affordable social housing, but to do so in a manner that transforms the space into a meaningful place of communityengaged public space. As such, social and environmental sustainability are key drivers from the conceptualization of this project through to its material and tectonic actualization. Complete autonomy over one’s space is achieved through a flexible program, its manifestation into the floor plan, and its expression onto the façade. Local construction and demolition waste, namely brick, tile, ceramics and concrete is reused and recycled into new materials to not only address the limitations of time, energy, and economics for this type of municipal housing project, but also to draw attention to a major consequence on the environment of the profession of architecture and its construction itself. The result is a housing project that aims to

rise from the rubble by making a place f rom a space, a home f rom a house, and a collective f rom a group previously labelled by its deprivations.

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DEPRIVATION Deprivation occurs when a person’s well-being falls below a level which is generally thought of as an acceptable minimum.

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dirreccio general de political linguistica

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delegacion de defensa

bike rental barcelona

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hotel chic+basic ramblas

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de cio ociraes t s s a est nsa m sa se ro

a ea galeri miscelan

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pista de basquet l ca sso ia bre tap ca el bli st pu iva e ola rat escope co

es di re tu at es e te y d ert as b vi to

centre civic drassanes

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ia ac m far

ti m ac

e ld na ial cio soc a t n ut ta tit ure ins seg a l

iterraneo escola med cesire ic im

centre salut peracamps

poor health

poor housing

stress and strain

inadequate education

poor employment prospects

el raval

crime

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an urban problem The site for the project is located within the complex urban realm of El Raval. The rich development of the neighbourhood follows its conception around the turn of the 20th century as the city’s second neighbourhood through to its major urban regeneration in the late 1980s. Today, the vibrancy of the neighbourhood is seen through its rich food and art culture, as well as its multiculturalism as it houses a large immigrant population.

However, this is also arguably the neighbourhood that is most vulnerable to the local contemporary issues that define the urban and architectural environments of Barcelona as a whole: overtourism and gentrification. Consequently, a large proportion of the residents of the Raval faces deprivation. Here, deprivation coincides directly with the areas of old and substandard housing built during the industrial revolution.

Famil amily y income is falli allin ng.

Hous ousiing mark market rising ng..

Higher mortality mortality than the rest rest of the city city.

High propo proport rtion ion of people older than 64 ye years ars (28%) (28%).

High number of people ov over er 74 y yea ears rs who live live alone (36% (36%)).

Aver era age famil amily y pur purchasi chasin ng p powe owerr below below the city city av aver era age.

2-7x 27x m mo ore cases of se seri rious ous ill illn nesses suc such h as A Aiids + Tube Tuberrco collos osiis.

Many cases of malaria re relat lated ed to immigration immigration..

Sout outh hE Ell Rav Rava al has th the wo worst rst hea eallth indi dica cato tors rs in the city ty..

Deprivation in El Raval is rooted in the following order of problems:

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economic (low income and problems with occasional debts)

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health

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social (isolation from family)

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unemployment

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what we’re dealing with:

cycle of poverty

housing

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social psychology (problems within family)

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schooling (truancy + educational backwardness

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population deprived

The spatial typologies of these groups, however, remain to be greatly variable.

Since the eventual inhabitants of the project are unknown, certain assumptions and standardizations were to be made of the units.

The challenge then became how to allow future occupants the desired autonomy within their space in face of this standardization other influencing factors like economy as a social housing project and sustainability as an environmental necessity. Flexibility of and between tenants was a necessary outcome from the solution.

HOMELESS REHABILITATION EVICTION

TRAUMA PRUJUDICE SPEECH FOOD SAFETY

The order of problems found within the site create such conditions that the most vulnerable populations are the elderly, the evicted and homeless, single parent households, and newly arriving refugee and immigrant families. Although all these subgroups of society consist of very different demographics, many of them share deprivations with one or more other subgroups, whether that be lack of food safety, sense of loss, or accessibility.

As such, there remains a social thread that connects these groups in a manner that can be mutually beneficial towards reintegration.

REFUGEES FAMILIES

SINGLE|PARENT

ELDERLY

LONELINESS CHILD CARE ECONOMIC MEANS SOCIAL STIGMA

HEALTH PROBLEMS LONELINESS ACCESSIBILITY ECONOMIC MEANS

SPACE FOR TWO PRIVATE KITCHEN DAY CARE

ACCESSIBILITY COMMUNAL SPACE

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spatial typologies 8

LONELINESS ECONOMIC MEANS SOCIAL STIGMA FOOD SAFETY

SINGLE|PARENT WORKING CLASS UNEMPLOYED LONELINESS ECONOMIC MEANS ACCESSIBILITY

STUDENTS EXIST WITHIN THIS COMPLEX URBAN REALM WITH VARIOUS DEPRIVATIONS MENTIONED SOCIAL THREAD | ABILITY TO AID WITH ALL SOCIAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE GROUPS

LOSS COMPANIONSHIP MENTAL HEALTH ACCESSIBLITY

ELDERLY COUPLES WIDOWED

REFUGEES

STUDENTS

TRAUMA

LANGUAGE PROBLEMS

SSREFUGEES ELEMO LREDLEYLREDLE LEGAL LANGUAGE SHOCKYSTUDENTS EHOMELESS EGUF+ES REEGUFERPROBLEMS ELESS SH SELCULTURE EMOH STUDENTS REFUGEES

CULTURE SHOCK ECONOMIC MEANS YTEFATRAUMA S DOOY FTEFAS DOOLANGUAGE SLANGUAGE M ELBORP H TLEALEBHORP HTLAEH AFOOD MUARSAFETY T AFETY F S M AMUART TRAUMA PROBLEMS PROBLEMS RACIAL PREJUDICE LONELINESS HTLAEH LATNEM SSENILENOL P EGAUGNAL + LAGEL

HEALTH MENTAL HTL AEH LATNEM CULTURE SHOCK SSENILENOL SMELBHEALTH ORP EGAUG LEGAL NAL ++LLANGUAGE AG LEGAL EL + LANGUAGE PROBLEMS PROBLEMS CULTURE SHOCK M GITS LAIC O S GITS LAICOSECONOMICY T ILIBISSECMEANS C OSOCIAL HS ERUSTIGMA TLKUCCOHS ERUTLUC CULTUREASHOCK STIGMA AM YA TILIBISSECCA CULTURE SHOCK ECONOMIC MEANS S NRACIAL AEM CIM OSNNO SNAEM CIMO CM E CIMONOCE UJERP LA CECONOMIC MEANS MEANS AC EE M CIMONOCE LONELINESS SN NO AE EICC IA DR UJERP LAICARACIAL R PREJUDICE PREJUDICE LONELINESS

EDUCATION STUDY SPACE COMMUNAL SPACE SHARED AMENITIES N OITACUDSHELTER E NOITACUDE RETLEHEDUCATION S YRARREO PEMHESTYRAROPMESTUDY YTISTUDY LIBISSESPACE CC EDUCATION EMPORARY SHELTER TL T SPACE YA TILIBISSECCA STORAGE PS LTRAINING ANUM OPCS LANUMMOCOMMUNAL GNINIART SPACE CSHARED APS LANAMENITIES UEM OSCLANUMMOC EM CA C COMMUNAL SPACE ING GNINIART SHAREDEAMENITIES CM AP

EGAROTS EGAROTS TATION REHABILITATION

NOITASTORAGE TILIBAH STORAGE NE ORITATILIBAHER

TNERAPT|E NLEG RN AIPS SSENILENOS LSENIL ERAC DLIHCERAC SNAEM CIMS ONNAOEC MECI AMGITS LAIC AO MSGITS OWT ROF EC PTSRO OA W NEHCTIK ETN AE VH IRCPTIK ERAC YAD ERAC

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housing typology Within the housing continuum, these groups most require transitional and supportive housing solutions as the steppingstone towards more stable residences. A cohousing solution is proposed that maintain the threads of autonomy, flexibility, and community.

EMERGENCY SHELTERS

AFFORDABLE HOUSING STRATEGY

HOMELESSNESS TO HOUSING STABILITY STRATEGY

housing continuum

provides a temporary living environment for those faced with short term housing needs induced by brief unemployment, low income or eviction. Plays a key role in assisting individuals make the move from shelters to stable self contained residences. housing that includes services to support special need individuals including support for the elderly, drug addicts, those with mental health needs and those dealing with cognitive disabilities.

SUBSIDIZED HOUSING

MARKET RENTAL HOUSING

MARKET OWNER HOUSING

cohousing

AUTONOMY FLEXIBITY COMMUNITY

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strategy

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strategy : social

atrium green roof acces

sible r

oof

residential social service communal kitchen atrium patio

eating + playground day care classroom + training centre cafe + seating community kitchen library + art gallery change rooms with showers laundry storage bike parking

street

level

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The majority of the target population in need of social housing are in need of socialization and support spaces alongside the comfort of their own homes. The micro massing of the building thus creates opportunities for this socialization to occur both vertically as well as horizontally throughout the building. This is primarily achieved using a human scale to maintain sensory connection between its users, the provision of interstitial spaces and moments of collision, as well as thresholds ranging from public to communal to private to allow for autonomous conditions for interaction. These spaces of opportunity play a large role in the achievement of the conceptual driver of autonomy.

The program of the project, from the large scale of public amenities to the micro scale of the private unit, allows for the users to have ownership of the space they are inhabiting in a flexible manner. Communal spaces are distributed throughout the building in conjunction with the domestic, and amenities are shared at the street level to drive the conceptual notions of the project.

13 m height maximum 5 km/hr movement 5 km/hr scale 13 m

human scale

thresholds

interstitial spaces

opportunities

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strategy : physical

maintained concrete columns

maintained concrete slabs

maintained mass walls + vertical circulation shafts

reused windows + doors

reused + recycled perimeter wall

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existing

open plaza to public

The existing building on the site has an open floor structure supported by reinforced concrete columns and slabs. As a material strategy towards a more sustainable solution, the majority of this structure is maintained, reused, or recycled into new materials.

circulation through alley

A primary objective for the massing strategy is to transform the site into a meaningful place of community engagement by rendering more porous the existing wall and making the courtyard accessible to the public. This is the space wherein the stigma associated with social housing and its inhabitants has the opportunity to be dissolved. For this purpose, a passage is opened through the building that connects Av. de les Drassanes and Passatge de Gutenberg; this also serves to activate the latter street, which is currently functioning as an alley, and to maintain eyes on the street around the site. To increase density, the two existing buildings are connected at the center with a new addition. Due to its greater depth, an atrium is added to this addition to allow for natural light penetration into the space and to vertically connect the users through the building.

atrium through deep mass

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SITe 20m

N

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strategy : environmental N

The orientation of the existing building capitalizes on the site’s solar exposure and wind movement, allowing for the harnessing of both as passive energy strategies.

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solar water heater system + mechanical house

green cover > health benefits

gardens > food growth

modular systems > maintenance

covered seating

mechanical shafts

aromatic plants

The green roof plays an important role in the environmental strategy of the project. A variety of activities have been curated throughout the space both for function and for leisure to create a sense of communal place. A solar water heater system is implemented to maximize on the site’s ample solar exposure and to minimize the building’s heat use.

The extensive green cover is implemented for its health benefits, some of which are or can be transformed into gardens for food growth. A series of covered and uncovered seating spaces are scattered around the space for tenants’ use at will, and purposely surrounded by gardens of aromatic plants. The entirety of the three types of green covers - grass, food, and plants - are implemented as a modular system for easier maintenance and flexibility.

Lastly, the mechanical house and shafts have been placed as to remain unobtrusive to the accessibility of the space and its functions.

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roof

plan

20m

N 19

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execution

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The ground floor provides a variety of programs that bleed into one another to allow for flexible uses and opportunities for public inclusion with the aim of diminishing the stigma associated with social housing. For this primary reason, the gate has been made more open and porous to main security concerns whilst allowing visual and auditory connections for invitation. The flexible spaces function as rentable spaces for cooperatives and educators that wish to do so.

The courtyard houses seating for the café, an outdoor playground for the daycare, as well as a market space run by locals and residents. Food grown on the roof can be used in the community kitchen on this ground floor, or perhaps sold as produce in the market space to generate individual incomes towards a self-sustaining circular economy. In the same manner, educators can maintain their current training programs through cesire, and have the added benefit of demographic variety.

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DW

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DW

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d n u

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m

10

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ratio of communal to domestic space per floor

o ro

OPEN TO BELOW

f h

4t l ve le d 3r l ve le 2n d l ve le n ou gr d

communal space domestic space

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STORAGE

p y t

l a ic

N

m

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Existing within the current structure, the domestic units have been optimized to allow for 4 types of units across the three residential floors. The service core has been centralized for all the units, freeing up the left and right of units to be the living and bedrooms of units depending on the preference and need of the users. What this enables is the autonomy and flexibility desired; the users have the ability to program the space to suit their immediate or future needs. This service core also houses the mechanical shafts of the units, where two units are backed onto each other to minimize obstructions on the roof. The wider circulation spaces and internal and outdoor communal spaces on each floor allow for moments of collision between similarly deprived groups of people. A social service is prvovided on each floor that addresses measures of integration, such as job skill training. Lastly, a centralized atrium through the new addition connects the residential levels up to the green roof with a staircase.

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section 10m

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unit types 1 studio

accessible unit

1-2 bed units

studio

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5m

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R TO S G A

TO N W E P LO E B

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unit delineation 1

EXISTING STRUCTURE

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UNIT DIVISION FOR CROSSVENTILATION + SHADING

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SERVICE CORE FOR FLEXIBILITY

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SPACE OPTIMIZATION FOR AUTONOMY

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unit types 2 2-3 bed units

1-2 bed units

accessible unit

flexibility autonomy

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N 5m

its un

The units have been delineated to optimize use of the current structure, solar exposure, cross-ventilation, as well as internal reconfiguration. At any moment in time, a user can decide to switch the use of spaces on either side of the service core to be a living and dining space to a bedroom space. This is especially valuable for growing families who wish to have children and require the additional bedroom, or perhaps a larger bedroom than living space to allow for a workspace. More conveniently, it allows for easier transitions between tenant cycles, wherein a family needs urgent housing in a vacated unit previously only occupied by a couple.

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1

3

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2

4

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un

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a pl

5m

N

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privacy + access There are three measures implemented that address the issues of privacy and access compromised for flexibility. Formally, 1.5 m half walls between each of the units have been used as invisible barriers to demarcate communal access versus the more private patio of the unit. The second formal action is the use of internal privacy measures such as curtains, or furniture and plants to better demarcate communal to private space.

The last measure is the implementation of a second façade on either side of a unit: the west, north and east façades have been enclosed with polycarbonate to enable light to flood the interiors and maintain the residents’ privacy from the public eye, as well as improve the building’s thermal efficiency by acting as a second skin; the south façade, with its higher needs of shading, has been implemented with a wooden shading system that can be adjusted unitarily to the users’ needs throughout the day.

The following are images of the same space yet occupied differently by its respective users.

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south elevation 10m

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Carrying to the outside the idea of autonomy and individualism is its consequential expression on the façade of the building.

Each unit has its individual privacy and shading piece dependent on the width of the unit’s face, making it so that the façade reads as a composition of unitized materials.

In this manner, the tradition of having a private patio and public patio is achieved whilst maintaining the conceptual rigour of the unit’s autonomous layouts: the south façade acts as the public patio with its potential for a completely transparent space once the shading system is opened, while the rest of the facades act as the private, more communal patios for each unit.

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east elevation 10m

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west elevation 10m

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material explorations One of the sustainable material groups which has gained importance in sustainable construction world are those based on the use of construction and demolition wastes (C&DW).

The management and reuse of wastes are key to face the construction sector problem: reduce production, reuse and recycling. The I Spanish National Plan for C&DW cites Spanish building waste to be composed primarily of bricks, tile, ceramic materials and concrete.

60mm 20mm

prefabricated concrete panel recycled construction waste vetilated gap insulation w/ glass waste

50mm

waterproofing membrane

2mm

brick + concrete aggregates mortar w/ plastic waste reused construction waste

110mm

existing concrete slab

200mm

insulation

20mm

radiant heating pipes

50mm

‘terrazo’ top layer recycled construction waste

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What is proposed is an experimental wall system for the walls of the new addition that utilizes both reused and recycled waste. Likewise, a floor finish is also proposed that utilizes C&DW as its aggregate. A radiant heating system is implemented below it, which uses the hot water generated on the roof as its source. As reused materials tend to be more porous due to their prior use and degradation, the second skins of the polycarbonate and shading system also function as protective barriers from excessive water penetration. Other material measures can also be implemented, such as the use of recycled plastic bottles within the mortar mix, which improves the fire protection of the wall, as well as mineral wool insulation that is made using recycled glass, both recycled materials of which are equally abundant in Spain

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