COMPETITION FOR 35 SOCIAL HOUSING UNITS LOCATED IN THE MIRASOL NEIGHBOURHOOD OF SANT CUGAT.

The organisation PROMUSA (Promocions Municipals de Sant Cugat del Vallès) launched a competition in 2022 for the drafting of the project for 35 subsidised housing units.

SITE IMPLEMENTATION

We start from a plot with a favourable south-facing orientation, so the L-shaped layout of the building responds to this characteristic while also enclosing a block, with the possibility of connecting outdoor spaces with those of the neighbouring residents.

The linear volume is broken into three stair cores, reducing the overall visual impact and allowing it to be articulated around the central communal green space, which provides the connection between the different entrances—an area for social interaction, with bicycle parking, a play area and a summer climate refuge.

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND BIOCLIMATIC STRATEGY

The building seeks to respond to each orientation with differentiated typologies, with the aim of achieving efficient energy management and excellent indoor environmental comfort. All homes receive good solar radiation, a strategy that reduces winter demand and is offset in summer with solar shading through shutters or overhangs.

In addition, particular emphasis is placed on ensuring that all homes have effective cross-ventilation.

CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM

From a construction standpoint, the project opts for a lightweight structure using a prefabricated system that is easy to assemble on site and can be reused, with the intention of applying circular-economy principles to the project.

Priority is given to natural, low-carbon materials such as cross-laminated timber floor slabs and finishes that avoid treatments that could be toxic for users.