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#5")34 #!3"!(
3OCIAL HOUSING ON THE EDGE OF -ADRID IS
TRANSFORMED INTO A MODERN ECO CASBAH
LOCATION PLAN
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4HE COMPETITION
WINNING SOCIAL HOUSING PROJECT THAT -ORPHOSIS
COMPLETED IN $ECEMBER OF LAST YEAR OFFERS A DRAMATIC CONTRAST TO THE
BLAND BRICK TOWERS OF MIDDLE
CLASS APARTMENTS THAT SURROUND IT !
GLEAMING WHITE COMPLEX OF CUBIST BLOCKS PATIOS AND WALKWAYS IT EVOKES
THE HILL VILLAGES OF !NDALUSIA OR THE CASBAHS OF NORTH !FRICA ,OCATED IN
#ARABANCHEL A MASTERPLANNED COMMUNITY BORDERED BY THE RING ROAD TO
THE SOUTH
WEST OF THE FAST
GROWING 3PANISH CAPITAL IT IS ONE OF PROJECTS
IN THAT AREA SPONSORED BY %-63 THE CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY 4HESE WERE
ALL DESIGNED BY NEW OR ESTABLISHED ARCHITECTS FROM 3PAIN AND ABROAD AND
THEY ARE SCATTERED AMONG THE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS 4HE CONSTRUCTION
BUDGET IS A FRUGAL %SQM AND THE COMPLETED UNITS ARE OFFERED FOR SALE
OR RENT AT A THIRD OF THE MARKET RATE
-ORPHOSIS PRINCIPAL 4HOM -AYNE ROSE TO THE CHALLENGE @7EVE ALWAYS
MADE A PRACTICE OF BUILDING INEXPENSIVELY HE SAYS @) SHARE THE IDEALISM
OF THE EARLY -ODERNISTS AND THE CLIENT GAVE US FREE REIN CONCEPTUALLY AS
LONG AS WE MET THE BUDGET &OR THIS lRST VENTURE IN 3PAIN -AYNES TEAM
COLLABORATED WITH "$5 %STUDIO DE !RQUITECTURA A mEDGLING -ADRID lRM
FOUNDED BY "EGOA $IAZ
5RGORRI WHO BRIEmY WORKED FOR -ORPHOSIS AND
GAINED EXPERIENCE BUILDING ANOTHER INNOVATIVE PROJECT FOR %-63
2ESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION IN 3PAIN IS BOOMING AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
ESTIMATE THAT UNITS WERE BUILT LAST YEAR n ALMOST AS MANY AS
,ONG SLAB BLOCKS
FRAME THE
@VILLAGE OF LOW
RISE DWELLINGS
AND COURTYARDS
7IND TOWERS
CREATE A SURREAL
LANDSCAPE OF
PERISCOPES ON
THE FRINGE OF
-ADRID
.ETWORKS
OF PASSAGES
CONNECT THE
COMPLEX /VER
TIME THE
#ONSTRUCTIVIST
CONTOURS WILL
BE SOFTENED BY
PLANTING
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GROUND FLOOR PLAN SCALE APPROX
SECOND FLOOR PLAN
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FIRST FLOOR PLAN SCALE APPROX
CAR PARKING
THREE AND FOUR BEDROOM DUPLEX mATS
MAIN PASEO
SEVEN
STOREY APARTMENT BLOCK
FOUR
STOREY APARTMENT BLOCK
7IND TOWERS DRAW IN
COOLING BREEZES
LONG SECTION THROUGH SEVEN STOREY SLAB BLOCK TOWER
CROSS SECTION THROUGH TOWERS AND LOW RISE UNITS
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WERE CONSTRUCTED IN THE REST OF %UROPE )N PART THIS IS DUE TO A SURGE OF
IMMIGRATION IN PART TO A FRENZY OF SPECULATION BUT MOST OF THE PRIVATELY
lNANCED HOUSES AND APARTMENT BLOCKS ARE CONVENTIONAL IN DESIGN
AND POORLY CONSTRUCTED 0UBLIC HOUSING IS MUCH MORE ADVENTUROUS
AND -AYNES VISION WHICH WAS mESHED OUT BY $IAZ
5RGORRI AND
-ORPHOSIS PROJECT ARCHITECT 0AVEL 'ETOV IS A BRILLIANT REWORKING OF THE
-EDITERRANEAN VERNACULAR IN THE TRADITION OF ,E #ORBUSIER AND 4EAM 4EN
4HE ARCHITECTS STACKED THE TWO
BEDROOM APARTMENTS IN A
THIN
SECTION SEVEN
STOREY SLAB THAT RUNS ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF THE
SITE 4HE STREET FACADE HAS SMALL OPENINGS AND THE APARTMENTS OPEN UP
TO SOUTH
FACING TERRACES AT EACH LEVEL ! FOUR
STOREY BLOCK DElNES THE
SOUTH BOUNDARY AND THESE TWO BARS OF SMALL UNITS BRACKET A VILLAGE
LIKE COMPLEX OF THREE
AND FOUR
BEDROOM DUPLEXES WITH A PODIUM OF
PARKING BELOW ! BROAD PASEO SHADED BY ALUMINIUM MESH CANOPIES THAT
WILL SUPPORT A VARIETY OF mOWERING PLANTS BISECTS THE COMPLEX FROM
NORTH TO SOUTH CONNECTING TO A NETWORK OF NARROW PASSAGES 0UBLIC
PLAZAS ALTERNATE WITH INNER PATIOS @7E TRIED TO CREATE AN INFRASTRUCTURE
FOR SOCIAL INTERCHANGE WITH NEIGHBOURS MEETING CASUALLY AND CONVERSING
FROM ONE SPACE TO ANOTHER SAYS -AYNE
4O KEEP CONSTRUCTION COSTS DOWN THE ARCHITECTS PLAYED VARIATIONS ON
A SIMPLE THREE
DIMENSIONAL MODULE AND EMPLOYED THE STANDARD BUILDING
SYSTEM OF A CONCRETE STRUCTURAL FRAME AND STUCCOED BRICK INlLL -ESH
COVERED 3TYROFOAM PANELS SPRAYED WITH CEMENT ARE SUPPORTED ON STEEL
POLES TO DElNE THE PASEO 4HE MATURE TREES THAT -ORPHOSIS HAD WANTED
TO PLANT WERE ELIMINATED AS AN ECONOMY AND THE PLANTINGS HAVE YET TO
SOFTEN THE CANOPIES GIVING THE PROJECT A SHARP
EDGED #ONSTRUCTIVIST
LOOK 4HE UNITS ARE COMPACT TO SQM BUT ATTRACTIVELY lNISHED
WITH HARDWOOD mOORS TERRAZZO STAIRS AND BUILT
IN CABINETS #HIMNEY
LIKE
TOWERS SERVE AS VENTILATION SHAFTS PULLING IN COOL BREEZES AND EVACUATING
HOT AIR AND NATURAL VENTILATION FROM THE OPEN SPACES KEEPS THE UNITS COOL
ON ALL BUT THE HOTTEST DAYS 3OLAR PANELS CONTRIBUTE TO THE HEATING AND
ABUNDANT NATURAL LIGHT ALSO REDUCES ENERGY COSTS -)#(!%, 7%""
!RCHITECTS
-ORPHOSIS
"$5 %STUDIO DE !RQUITECTURA
0HOTOGRAPHER
.IC ,EHOUX
4HE CASBAH
LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE OF
PASSAGES STAIRS AND INTERNAL COURTYARDS
WILL ACT AS A PHYSICAL ARMATURE FOR
SOCIAL INTERACTION BUT MUCH DEPENDS
ON HOW THE REAL INHABITANTS WILL
APPROPRIATE THE SPACES
7HITE WALLS AND SHARPLY DEFINED FORMS
MAKE FOR A -ODERN -EDITERRANEAN
VERNACULAR
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4HOUGH THE CITY OF 3EATTLE HAS A SPECTACULAR LOCATION OVERLOOKING
%LLIOTT "AY AND 0UGET 3OUND ITS WATERFRONT IS DEFINED BY A JUMBLE
OF LEFTOVER SPACES ELEVATED HIGHWAYS RAIL LINES AND THE CONTINUAL
PRESENCE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC (OWEVER RECENT INITIATIVES BY THE 3EATTLE
!RT -USEUM 3!- NOT ONLY PROJECT ART INTO THE CITY BUT ALSO
RECONNECT IT WITH THE WATER
4HE 3!- WHICH OPENED IN ON A SITE OVERLOOKING 3EATTLE
EXPANDED AND MOVED INTO THE CITY IN $ESIGNED BY 6ENTURI
3COTT "ROWN THE EARLY S BUILDING WAS DISTINGUISHED BY AN
ASSERTIVELY DECORATED FACADE THAT WRAPPED AROUND A CORNER SITE
ON &IRST !VENUE AND 5NIVERSITY 3TREET WITH A MIX OF SUPERGRAPHICS
COLOUR AND CONSPICUOUS HISTORICAL PASTICHE 7ITH A MORE RECENT
INFUSION OF ENERGY AND NEW
FOUND WEALTH FROM COFFEE COMPUTERS
AND THE INTERNET THE MUSEUM HAS EXPANDED AGAIN !S A RESULT OF A
COLLABORATION WITH THE 7ASHINGTON -UTUAL "ANK IT NOW OCCUPIES
PRIME FRONTAGE ALONG AN ENTIRE CITY BLOCK ON &IRST !VENUE