Practicingamongothers

After having realized the power of common and shared knowledge as a foundation of innovating projects, such as La Borda, which are mostly feasible through the forces of social economy and solidarity, Lacol acknowledge how crucial and necessary is to create a multidisciplinary platform where intersectional information is gathered and shared. Consequently, they have created, with local activists with long history in Can Batlló and practices of commons, a foundation called La Dinamo24 -where Marc is one of the co-founders. A working cooperation, where its main role includes the provision of financial and organizational support, and the promotion of the model of CHP -knowledge and experience that was gathered through La Borda. A multidisciplinary collaboration between technical knowledge and policymaker’s expertise. A continuous regeneration of common resources and motivation that goes back to 2008, when the former architectural students of nowadays architecture cooperative Lacol first arrived at the Can Batlló’s site and community.

Having in mind the Block 4, the central point of the site of Can Batlló for the moment, where the community meets, celebrates and discusses different issues, Lacol with Dinamo, and other necessary working cooperations of the social economy got inspired source: Lacol (n.d.) LA COMUNAL ESPAI COOPERATIU, drawing, Lacol, Available at: https://www.lacol.coop/ projectes/lacomunal/ (Aaccessed: 26 January 2023). source: La Comunal (n.d.) QUI SOM, image, La Comunal, Available at: https://lacomunal. coop/la-comunal-sants/ (Accessed: 26 January 2023).

23. Lacol won the bronze metal award of World Habitat Awards in 2019. In the summary of their winning project, La Borda, they explain the barriers encountered during the process of the realization of the CHP La Borda.

Source: World Habitat Awards (2019) La Borda, cooperativa de vivienda en cesión de uso, Spain. Available at: https:// world-habitat.org/wp-content/ uploads/2019/11/La-Borda_ Spain_FULL-Project-Summary. pdf (Accessed: 20 January 2023).

24. Lacol (no date) La Dinamo Available at: https://www.lacol. coop/projectes/la-dinamo/ (Accessed: 19 January 2023).

Floor plan of the ground floor of the inter-cooperative workspace of La Comunal.

Some of the member of the different working cooperations ,housed in the inter-cooperative workspace of la Comunal. The actors of th different services of social economy and solidarity share the patio of La comunal as a common space.

25. «La Comunal is a cooperative cultural space born from the alliance between different projects of the social and solidarity economy, in order to pool capacities and powers, strengthen the intercooperative ties with each other and multiply, thus, the scope and community impact of the transformative socio-economic practices carried out by its members. It is made up of seven work cooperatives and an association.” by, and so they created La Comunal25 in 2019 -right after the accomplishment of La Borda. A sociocultural service cooperative and workspace with main objective the promotion of alternative daily practices to the capitalist and neoliberal economic. It is located in the district of Sants not far from the neighborhood of Cana Batlló. The final result of the building of La Comunal is a result of the rehabilitation of an old textile industry and an addition of a new volume, creating by that an atrium. This central space acts as a reference point for the different member of the cooperations there, bringing references to the atrium of La Borda. This common space is surrounded by a number of communal spaces on the ground floor, such as kitchen and chilling room, reinforcing the idea of social interactions. Lacol, not only benefits from the proximity of sharing knowledge and technical support beyond their expertise by the other cooperations, but also shares occasionally experiences and moments with locals who come to use the co-working space on the ground floor in the new volume. A conscious intention of the members of La Comunal to give space to the local community to interact with and collaborate, while sharing resources. Although, community participation or selfconstruction are not mentioned in the construction process, La Comunal is a result of architectural practices and choices of Lacol which are clearly influenced of common practices. Those are strongly perceived not so much in the choice of materials and general aesthetics of the building complex, but rather in the sociospatial configuration and the complexity of its use and chosen program. Another common infrastructure, aiming to achieve urban commons. source: Valdecantos, A. (n.d.) LA COMUNAL ESPAI COOPERATIU, image,Lacol, Available at: https://www.lacol. coop/projectes/lacomunal/ (Accessed: 26 January 2023).

Source: La Comunal (no date) Who we are. Available at: https://lacomunal.coop/lacomunal-sants/ (Accessed at: 17 January 2023).

The success of this collaboration is still in progress with more upcoming CHP on the way to be designed, promoted, and constructed. As mentioned before, Lacol is willing to replicate this model of housing, making it more accessible and sustainable to more people that they need it, in Can Batlló and beyond. Some of the future projects in the site of Can Batlló are Sotrac and Empriu, two cooperatives con cesión de uso, which were created from the surplus members of the inscription list for the CHP of La Borda –since capacity was limited. The question that arises here is: Is Lacol capable to regenerate not only the processes of commoning that have taken place through the definition and construction of La Borda, but also the housing dwellings as final infrastructures with similar common and/or communal spaces?

View from the patio of the intercooperative workspace of La Comunal towards the co-working space occasionally dedicated to the locals needs (such as conferences, events, etc.), who are welcomed to come and use it. A conscious intention of the members of La Comunal to give space to the local community to interact with and collaborate, while sharing resources. At the sasme time, there is a strong visual and strong connection between the interior spaces and the patio, enforcing its centrality.

26. La Dinamo (2020) Sotrac. Available at: https:// ladinamofundacio.org/project/ sotrac/ (Accessed: 10 January 2023).