In the neighborhood of Torre Baró in
Despite sharing usage with this latter fabric, the building leverages its intermediate scale and the topographic characteristics of the plot to position itself between both. As an almost perfect cube, it fronts the main avenue with a ground floor plus five stories and only three stories on the lesser street. Additionally, the volume opens on this side to allow the southern sun into the courtyard - and through it to the only dwelling purely oriented to the north - dividing the length of the facade.
On either side, low vegetation on a slope with preserved specimens and new ones evokes the agricultural past of the plot. The stepped courtyard is a product of removing material from the volume and connects both streets through a porch and the gap to the south. The program of 31 affordable rental housing units and commercial space is organized around it, serving as stairs to the second floor and, therefore, a necessary route and meeting place for users.
With a presence and educational paths, it materializes with honest finishes and vernacular openings protected with reinterpreted Mallorcan blinds, without sacrificing quality but in line with the tight budget required for affordable housing. For the same reason, the project aspires to the highest energy efficiency rating through passive systems and community installations of maximum efficiency, exempting it from building parking and reducing the living costs for tenants.
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