social housing analysis [av recreation]

AVMonografias Monographs

500 (2010)

A New Tale of Two CitiesSocial Housing in Madrid


500 (2010)

A New Tale of Two CitiesSocial Housing in MadridDirector Editor

Luis Fernandez-Galiano

Director de arte Art DirectorJose Jaime S. YusteDiagramacion/redaccion Layout/EditorialCuca FloresBeatriz G. CasaresMaria DifuentesLuis JativaBeatriz G. LazoLeticia OlalquiagaRaquel CongostoCoordinacion editorial CoordinationLaura MulasProduccion ProductionLaura GonzalezJesus PascualAdministracion AdministrationFrancisco SolerSuscripciones SubscriptionsLola GonzalezDistribucion DistributionMar RodriguezPublicidad AdvertisingCecilia RodriguezRaquel Vazquez

Editor PublisherArquitectura Viva SLCalle Aniceto Marinas, 32E-28008 Madrid, EspanaTel: (+34) 915 487 317Fax: (+34) 915 488 [email protected]

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Esta revista ha recibido una ayuda de la DireccionGeneral del Libro, Archivos y Bibliotecas del Ministeriode Cultura para su difusion en bibliotecas, centrosculturales y universidades de Espana, para la totalidad delos numeros del ano.

Todos los derechos reservados. All rights reservedDeposito legal Legal registration: M-12713-2010ISSN: 0213-487X

Impresion Printing: MonterreinaEncuadernacion Binding: De la FuenteCubierta CoverComposicion (copyright Heinrich Helfenstein)Composition (copyright Heinrich Helfenstein)Traducciones TranslationsL. Mulas (ingles English)L. Jativa (espanol Spanish, David Cohn)


500 (2010)

A New Tale of Two CitiesSocial Housing in Madrid

MVRDV, Blanca LleoA Critique of MVRDV Social Housing

Foreign Office Architects, MorphosisHousing replaces Homes in Madrid

Social Housing Boom in Madrid

The topic of social housing and the creation of an architecture that responds to the changes in Spanish society begin to spark a discussion about the role of an archi-tect. It is widely accepted that architecture as a profession is one that relies on multiple disciplines. Since the architect is designing the built environment around us they should be well-rounded and have some knowledge about the factors that should influence their designs. The question then becomes, at what point is their knowledge about a various disciplines prepare them to accurately predict social trends. The social housing projects that were discussed in class, El Mirador by MVRDV, FOA’s Carabanchel 16, and Morphosis Carabanchel 11 all act as experi-mental grounds where international architects who are particularly unaware of the Spanish culture are recruited by the EMVS to create housing units that try to predict the lifestyle of the users that will be occupying the space. The collaboration of the international firms with the local architect is supposed to inform the architects about the Spanish lifestyle more in depth then what MVRDV describes in a couple words as extroverted or vivid. Although the building has received acclaim and awards from architectural publications the tenants believe that the architects were more concerned with the overall aesthetics of the building then the actual inhabitants. The EMVS continue to recruit these architects, who are creating undoubtedly interesting architecture that is creating an interest in social housing but are creating objects in areas that lack density and are becoming billboards for the EMVS, the architect, and even helping the economy with a large boom in residential construction. In the case of El Mirador and Celosia, the housing units were able to bring a new density to the outskirts of Madrid by becoming a beacon and tourist attraction for Sanchinarro. The applause for MVRDV’s two projects in Sanchinarro can only occur when the situation is observed from the broader view and the perspective of the tenant is ignored. It is apparent that MVRDV attended social housing meeting or are well read on theories related to social housing problem in Spain. When cross-referencing the design parameters with the article, Public Housing and Space: A Manifesto. One of the first few guidelines asks the architects of social housing units to understand that the potential inhabitants defined as, “active subjects of urban culture undefined by familiar origin or profession.” A large diverse group of users that composed of anyone from professionals, young adults, dingles, couples without children, single-parent families, and the elderly. The changes in the traditional family structure acknowledged in a way in which the social housing is reflective of the emergence of the new widely varied family structure. The ways in which the super blocks are composed are representative of this new family structure. Each of these nine super blocks becomes a mixing bowl for a variety of the lifestyles that are replacing the once monothematic family unit. Other requirements that speak to the levels of density in the areas in which these housing are built are addressed by providing two large housing blocks in close proximity of one another. The guideline that speaks to

Social Housing Boom In Spain

AV Monographs 500 2010 4

the lack of commerce in the area is addressed by providing space for six retail stores to find home in the plinth of the Mirador. The housing units successfully serve, “as a catalyst for changes in the use and perception of public space”. By lifting the public space of Madrid where it is traditionally conceived as being located at street level to a semi-public communal space 40 meters in the air MVRDV provided the inhabitants with a public communal space, whether or not it may be actually used and a more intimate sense of public space. The intelligence of the Dutch firm in their interest in designing social housing is somewhat successful as its techniques in addressing the larger scale problems with housing in Spain. Both Mirador and Celosia differentiate themselves from the surrounding houses in the area by building on the already existent housing block and exploring different architectural typologies. The failures of the buildings are that connec-tions the building makes to the actual user. The collaborations that are forced with international architects and their local counterparts are not doing what they really need to. The fact that the tenant feels as if the architects were concerned with the aesthetics of the building instead of recognizing the implied social agenda exposes the failures of the project.

MVRDV, Blanca Lleo

From the idea that housing is a right like health or education are separate from the economic tactics of private development along with the requirement that lower classes who currently inhabit the low quality conditions of the existent social housing projects comes the initiatives of the E.M.V.S. Over the past 25 years there have been more then 60 social housing projects built in Madrid alone. Social housing, an architectural interest that has been reinvigo-rated by the E.M.V.S. has restarted architectural dialogue and research in the realms of public space. In all of Madrid’s urban planning projects of the last few years, allowing the “Urban Order Plan” developments of 1963, 1985

and 1997, which helped to eradicate shantytowns while relocating its inhabitants, re-launched the coop-erative movement of Plan 18,000 to start this emergence of sub-standard housing and ruins. Plan 18,000 gives E.M.V.S. the power to commission normally internation-ally known architects who yearn for cultural projects such as museums, civic centers, and concert halls, to design social housing units that have the potential to become the new architectural beacon of the city. Something even more commend-able is the activities of the city of Madrid in the realm of housing development and not in the form of a short term and not fashionable trend but has become a continuous engagement on the part of the

7 2010 AV Monographs 500

A Critique of MVRDV Social Housing

E.M.V.S. The coupling of global player along with local Spanish firms allows the production of the innovativeness and resources of the larger global firms along with the knowledge of the local Spanish culture. The “lookout” referred to, as the “Mirador” is one of two projects commissioned by MVRDV by the E.M.V.S. The Dutch firm worked in collaboration with Blanco Lleo becomes a gigantic billboard for social housing located in the north-eastern tip of Madrid in a neighbor-hood known as Sanchinarro. A normal residential block is flipped vertically with a void between the 12th and 16th stories.Something that MVRDV has taken on with el Mirador is their integra-tion of the various lifestyles appar-

ent in the ever-changing Spanish society. The availability due to the boom in construction of these social housing units pressures the mainte-nance of the usage value of subsi-dized housing during the longest time possible, both in aspects of construction quality and of adapt-ability to the changing needs of the occupiers. These requirements moti-vated MVRDV to create a form in which nine super blocks that house the various representative lifestyles while relying on the large viewing platform and red circulation zones to increase chances of social interaction in various social groups within these communal spaces. The attempts to create social interaction while adding density to the area of Sanchinarro where other projects fail because of the distance that occurs between the


possible areas of high density. This structure has flourished unlike any other in the region. For this it reason, MVRDV was commissioned again by the E.M.V.S. to build Celosia, another block tower located directly next to the Mirador. At this point people have begun taking sightseeing tours along the city’s edge to see the social housing trademarks that are beginning to pop up. Social housing devel-opments represent the ecological alterna-

tive to the hipped roof ghettos of private homes that are also located along the outskirts of the city where lack of density is becoming a problem.From the success of the Mirador E.M.V.S. commissioned MVRDV to build another social housing develop-ment in another empty plot of land adjacent to the Mirador. Since Sanchi-narro had received their beacon framing the view to the Guadajarra Mountains in

gesture is now toned down, repeated on every floor, and arranged in a checkerboard pattern that becomes a series of prefabricated boxes when coupled with the void. These times the voids become communal patios that must be traveled through to reach the front doors. Many of the apartments also have additional private outdoor space in the shape of a loggia right behind the front door. The simple act of opening the front doors connects these


the Mirador with a single void, the Dutch firm collaborating up with Blanca Lleo once again uses their stacked block methodology that is present in most of the firms work. Their exploration with the verticality in the Mirador is reversed with an exploration of the horizontality that forms the basis of Celosia. The single void that forms the projects largest architectural

private outdoor areas to the communal areas along with the patio, which offer views towards the city and the moun-tains. Celosia brings commerce into the area; MVRDV allotted six spaces that can be used for retail in the plinth of the building. The lack of commerce that can bring density is addressed by allow-ing retail space on the ground floor of the building.


Foreign Office Architects, MorphosisHousing replaces Homes in Madrid

Over the past few years, architects have made strides in Spain to produce new and innovative social housing units. Even though these low income homes complexes are a response to the rising population growth within the past few years, they exceed the demand for hous-ing two-fold. An article states that “Spaniards do not invest in shares but in bricks and mortar, which means building volumes and prices do not reflect the genuine need” (Bedaux 133). The issues with the social housing complexes affect the broader community by just simply being a building mass in a land-scape as opposed to a being a home for the people. There is a reciproc-ity that lies between the motives of the architect and the vision of the people as a result of the architects

creating social housing that the people necessarily don’t desire to live in (contextually as well as formally). For example, how the Dosmasuno housing complex in Carabanchel on the outskirts of the city recreates an innovative design to fit the program of a social hous-ing unit rather than taking the opportunity to resolve the needs and desires of the general public/demographics. Practicality. In the course of choosing the social housing units there is a lottery system in which one out of ten ‘players’ are able to obtain the opportunity to live in this social housing community. The residents of the Carabanchel com-plexes generally pay one-third the normal price for their homes. Although the units are in fact very


innovation overshadows practicality when engaging with these residents.For example, the Carabanchel social housing unit uses a cost effective bamboo façade with folding shutters that are operable by the resident to regulate the amount of sunlight enter-ing each housing unit. The architects, FOA, anticipated that the residents would frequently replace these shutters with the money out of their own pock-ets when the bamboo becomes weath-ered. The proposal for this new idea is very appealing, contrarily; the residents have not been replacing the shutters which allowed the bamboo in the façade to go from a rich brown-tone to a washed-out, deceased bamboo appearance. For example, the Cara-banchel social housing unit uses a cost effective bamboo façade with folding shutters that are operable by the

resident to regulate the amount of sunlight entering each housing unit. The architects, FOA, anticipated that the residents would frequently replace these shutters with the money out of their own pockets when the bamboo becomes weathered. The proposal for this new idea is very appealing, contrarily; the residents have not been replacing the shutters which allowed the bamboo in the façade to go from a rich brown-tone to a washed-out, deceased bamboo appearance. An article states that “Public housing is a political, social, economic, and techni-cal matter that is of interest to architec-ture. The redefinition of a type associ-ated with the basic space of the major-ity of inhabitants, who do not have the option of understand architecture, as a conscious or favorable decision, demands the existence of architects

ready to disappear from their work once it has been completed” (Herreros 21). This problem is constantly occur-ring where architects design these complexes anticipating that the zealous residents will take care of them, however, the residents are not focused on maintenance outside of their individual units themselves.

Mediocrity. These housing units try to create a new environment for flourish-ing families and young people branch-ing out to live on their own, however, they are isolated amongst themselves and hard to be accessed without a method of public or vehicular trans-portation from the city. What some of these housing units have achieved is becoming the construction of medio-cre buildings that outline the city. Describing these buildings as medio-


cre may not necessarily be applied to the form itself, but the interface between the building and the site/people. The buildings that start to become more innovative and create relationships are poorly finished. For example, MVRDV’s Carabanchel 11 housing complex is a sea of white surfaces that fold up into a bigger tower of housing units. The initial idea of the housing complex is very intriguing but the growth of the vegetation that will cover this unit is highly anticipated to serve the function of concealing errors in the finishing of the construction.

Community. The main goal of the social housing units as in any project is to bring the community together while exhibiting the architect’s great work and inventive ideas. The Social Hous-ing Complexes that are being built

recently emphasize the architect more than the community in a sense that the project claims to be bringing the people together and creating gathering spaces when in fact the emptiness of the projects and its surroundings prove to be doing the exact opposite. Not only do these social housing units lack social practicality, they stray away from what makes Spain a desirable country to live in, its culture. What used to be a community oriented conglomeration of people, laundry, gossip, and friendships based on simi-lar economic hardships in these units, are now trendy, architectural experi-ments.

Possibility. All in all, people desire a place to stay, making a house into a home. Architects are striving to create these interactive housing units rather

than homes where people can feel a sense of comfort inside and outside of their units. The neighborhoods created as a result are comprised of mostly built architecture, rather than people. As time progresses, an interface between these low income homes and new architectural ideas may be merged to create a housing unit that performs on a level of high quality thus creating a home rather than a piece of architec-ture.


FOA Carabanchel 16 Works Cited

"Carabanchel 16, Public Housing Development, Madrid." Design Build Network. Web. 10 May 2010.

<http://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/carabanchel/>.

"Carabanchel Housing by FOA." Weblog post. Wallpaper. 22 Aug. 2007. Web. 8 May 2010.

<http://www.wallpaper.com/architecture/carabanchel-housing-by-foa/1673>.

Foreign Office Architects. "Carabanchel Social Housing." Foreign Office Architects Official Site. 2008. Web. 8

May 2010. <http://www.f-o-a.net/#/projects/509>.

Saieh, Nico. "Carabanchel Housing / Foreign Office Architects | ArchDaily." Web log post. ArchDaily |

Broadcasting Architecture Worldwide. Arch Daily, 30 May 2008. Web. 10 May 2010.

<http://www.archdaily.com/1580/caranbachel-housing-foreign-office-architects/>.

MVRDV Celosia Works Cited

Bentzen, Thomas. "Celosia A New Building by MVRDV." Archicentral. 05 Nov. 2008. Web.

"Celosia Building / MVRDV with Blanca Lleó | ArchDaily." ArchDaily | Broadcasting

Architecture Worldwide. ArchDaily. Web. 10 May 2010.

<http://www.archdaily.com/29637/celosia-building-mvrdv-with-blanca-lleo/>.

"Dezeen » Blog Archive » Celosia Residence by MVRDV and Blanca Lleó." Dezeen

Architecture and Design Magazine. Dezeen. Web. 09 May 2010.

<http://www.dezeen.com/2009/07/16/celosia-residence-by-mvrdv-and-blanca-lleo/>.

K, David. "Celosia Residence." Mood: Architecture + Design + Interior. 22 Sept. 2009. Web. 9

May 2010.

"MVRDV Celosia Residence." Weblog post. Archipreneur. 14 Oct. 2009. Web. 9 May 2010.

<http://archipreneur.blogspot.com/2009/10/mvrdv-celosia-residence.html>.

Archidose. "Mirador." Welcome to the World of Archidose! Archidose. Web. 10 May 2010.

<http://www.archidose.org/Mar05/032105.html>.

Galinsky. "Mirador Building Madrid by MVRDV." Galinsky. Web. 10 May 2010.

<http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/mirador/index.html>.

Http://www.mimoa.eu, Mimoa //. "El Mirador De Sanchinarro, Blanca Lleó Asociados,

MVRDV | Madrid | Spain | MIMOA." MIMOA | Modern Architecture Guide |

Contributed, Organised, and Mapped by You. MIMOA. Web. 09 May 2010.

<http://www.mimoa.eu/projects/Spain/Madrid/El%20Mirador%20de%20Sanchinarro>.

MVRDV. "El Mirador." MVRDV. MVRDV. Web. 10 May 2010.

<http://www.mvrdv.nl/#/projects/housing/178mirador>.

MVRDV El Mirador Works Cited

Bedaux, Peter. "Capital Living." Mark 11 (2008). Web.

Bentzen, Thomas. "Celosia A New Building by MVRDV." Archicentral. 05 Nov. 2008. Web.

"Celosia Building / MVRDV with Blanca Lleó | ArchDaily." ArchDaily | Broadcasting

Architecture Worldwide. ArchDaily. Web. 10 May 2010.

<http://www.archdaily.com/29637/celosia-building-mvrdv-with-blanca-lleo/>.

"Dezeen » Blog Archive » Celosia Residence by MVRDV and Blanca Lleó." Dezeen

Architecture and Design Magazine. Dezeen. Web. 09 May 2010.

<http://www.dezeen.com/2009/07/16/celosia-residence-by-mvrdv-and-blanca-lleo/>.

Fernandez-Galiano, Luis. "Esto No Es America." AV Monografias 126 (2007): 3. Web.

K, David. "Celosia Residence." Mood: Architecture + Design + Interior. 22 Sept. 2009. Web. 9

May 2010.

Maria De Lapuerta, Jose. "Collective Housing a Manual." Mark. Web.

Morales, Jose. "Public Housing and Space: A Manifesto Focus: Houw to Understand and

Conduct Collective Housing as an Inctruction Manual, Whose Result Will Be a Deversity

of Options." MGM Arquitectos Workshop. Web.

"MVRDV Celosia Residence." Weblog post. Archipreneur. 14 Oct. 2009. Web. 9 May 2010.

<http://archipreneur.blogspot.com/2009/10/mvrdv-celosia-residence.html>.

Morphosis Carabanchel 11 Works Cited

Social Housing Boom in Spain Works Cited

"Carabanchel 11, Public Housing Development, Madrid." Design Build Network.

Designbuild-network.com. Web. 9 May 2010.

<http://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/Morphosis/>.

"Carabanchel 11, Public Housing Development, Morphosis with B+DU Estudio De Arquitectura on

Flickr - Photo Sharing!" Welcome to Flickr - Photo Sharing. Web. 10 May 2010.

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/giacomobecks/2668848206/>.

"Morphosis - Madrid Social Housing : Arcspace.com." Architecture Online - Arcspace Is an

Architecture and Design Magazine That Features Today's Most Creative Projects as Well as

the Most Influential of the Past. 13 Oct. 2008. Web. 10 May 2010.

<http://www.arcspace.com/architects/morphosis/msh/msh.html>.

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