125 Social Housing, Bacelona

The project's volume and skyline are shaped by a principle we call "human/urban sustainability", driven by two key factors: the scale of the immediate surroundings and the broader urban context.

Built, 2010  LPH 2-9

125 Social Housing. BGF: ca. 12.000 m². Barcelona. Spain

At the human scale, the residential units are designed for efficiency and comfort. Cross-ventilation is ensured, and the building's installations and vertical cores are grouped and optimized using an omega-shaped partition between units. This strategy allows us to maximize the potential of the 40 m² units.

From an urban perspective, we deliberately avoided the typical repetition of a single floor plan for all 125 units. Due to the sun orientation and surrounding conditions, such an approach could have degraded the quality of life in neighboring buildings. Instead, we adapted the volume gradually, based on detailed sun and shadow studies, analysis of street dimensions, and an in-depth study of existing architectural elements—windows, balconies, swimming pools, paths, green spaces, etc.

These combined studies led to the final layout of the 125 units and the building's dynamic skyline. The highest concentration of units is along Gran Vía Avenue, reaching GF + 11 (13 floors). These volumes are staggered to create distance from the neighboring buildings, improving light and ventilation on both sides.

Toward the center of the site, the height drops to +3 floors (excluding GF) to preserve sunlight access for adjacent housing. By not building on the ground floor in this area, we also maintain existing pedestrian pathways parallel to Gran Vía. The volume rises again to GF + 7 floors facing Plaza de las Matemáticas.

In the central space—free of construction at ground level—we placed two building entrances. These are designed as light, small-scale volumes to reinforce the human scale and create a smooth transition from the urban setting to the private residential domain.

The structure is built with reinforced concrete and traditional brick façades. On the Gran Vía and Química street sides, the façade features triangular extruded aluminum profiles. These elements serve as balcony screens, solar shading, and a unifying formal gesture for the overall design.