Social Housing Barcelona, Can Travi - Sergi Serrat Guillen, Ginés Egea, Cristina Garcia
Reportage about collective residential projects realised by the Patronat Municipal de l'Habitatge de Barcelona (PMHB) in the last years.
photo (Stefano Ferrando) and text (Francesco Cocco) from Social Housing Barcelona, ListLab, 2019
The building, located in the northern suburb of Barcelona, consists of 85 apartments with social tenancies and assistant services, in addition to several halls hosting activities designed for the neighbours of the district. The project cleverly makes use of its surroundings. The areas intended for services (corridors, maintenance closets, bathrooms, kitchens and dressing room) are located in the northern part of the two rows of apartments which comprise the building, while the social areas are located in the southern part which is surrounded by nature.
The standard accommodation, consisting of a bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom, features internal partitions which create the sensation of larger open spaces. The choice to position the terrace within the walls of the building so as to not protrude externally results in a shift from the bedroom to the living room, making the terrace appear as an extension of the living room. As a result, the elderly have an open “hybrid” area available, which is protected from the excessive summer heat and from where excellent views of the sea can be
enjoyed.