aguilera guerrero arquitectos' social housing, catalonia

aguilera guerrero arquitectos’ ’52 social housing building’, catalonia
image © pepo segura
all images courtesy of aguilera guerrero arquitectos

built on an irregularly shaped, divided plot of land, aguilera/guerrero arquitectos populates the sloping site with a series of orthogonal volumes of ’52 social housing building’ in tarragon, catalonia. the two-story single family unit plan is repeated to create blocks of two to seven residences, which are oriented according to the topography. separated by a road, each plot is oriented differently. the southern buildings step back from one another, and the plan is mirrored in these instances. the northern assemblies are angled toward the north-south axis, facing down-hill. in these assemblies, the end unit is double the typical width, which accommodates 6 accessible apartments in the development. balconies and windows carve out voids in the facades, adding depth and texture to the otherwise monolithic construction. awnings extrude from the mass to protect entrances. at the upper floor, square louvered screens frame views, and allow inhabitants to alter the amount of light and air that penetrate their homes. the cool white and gray palette is highlighted with a splash of color that varies by building. the strong contrast between the geometric organization and rectilinear construction, and the soft curves of the natural environment creates a social enclave in the landscape.

louvered screens at the balconies allow residents to control light and air
image © pepo segura