SOCIAL HOUSING | Alicante, Spain | Competition | 2nd Prize
# transreal architecture
#super-descriptive #relational #ordinary #holistic #ecological #speculative #figurative #enjoyable #playful #ironic
THE CULTURE OF GREEN AS A VALUE OF NATURAL
Since Ancient Greek Culture, relation between human and nature has been one of the most defining paradigms of every civilization. Nowadays, and increasingly, “the natural” has become a rarity and, thus, valuable. Along with some other topics it has fed the new culture of “the green”.
Nevertheless, reality in “La Condomina”, former house of vegetable gardens, is quite different. One of the most determining values that make a difference between every housing development within this area is no other than “the amount of green”, yet a false dream of nature.
We would like to be extremely direct with this aspiration. We propose a forest in the inside instead of the omnipresent garden. The built perimeter will precisely define a humid, fresh, soft, clean and green atmosphere inside. It protects it from the urban, hot, hard, dirty, noisy and grey atmosphere outside.
Housing has two opposite façades: one facing the street; the other, facing the forest. Every inhabitant will furnish his life according to the proximity to these two different atmospheres.
HOUSING AS THRESHOLD BETWEEN TWO WORLDS
“THE MAIGMÓ”
The Maigmó is one of the mountains that have had a certain presence in the population awareness. Nevertheless, formerly its perception presupposed two different situations: being out of the city; or, what interests us more, being in the city but 65m above the sea level. That means, thus, being at any of the urban mountains (Benacantil o Tossal). A magical relationship is, then, set: a contemplation of a natural environment which is far away (territorial scale) from the close interior of other natural environment (urban scale).
Our intention consists of turning this urban circumstance into a public event. We also would like to be direct with this aspiration. We already have a forest inside the plot. Now it is the time for this forest to glimpse “the Maigmó”.
The forest is cleared in order to enable glances across, from the street itself; the housing perimeter hides the neighbouring buildings, yet its corners are cut off in order to frame the street level sights towards the mountain standing out from the valley.
Therefore, NOT ONLY OUR FOREST ESTABLISH A MAGICAL DISTANT RELATIONSHIP WITH A REAL NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, BUT ITS NEW PARTICULAR PRESENCE ON THE STREET LEVEL TURNS IT AGAIN INTO A PUBLIC EVENT, DISTINCTIVE OF THE COLLECTIVE IMAGERY OF THE NEW INHABITANTS.
SPORT AS NEW LIFE STYLE
Sport is clearly a social activity that anyone, no matter his age or condition, can practice. It is not only a show any longer. It has become a new life style, increasingly accepted.
In fact, the presence of sport facilities all around these developments has enabled an intense, hectic and rich life the weekend, given it provides a way out for all those who, apart from exercising, look for an excuse to meet.
Sport, as activities generator, will be determining in order to complete our proposal.
We have a forest clearing marking the sports area.
Exercising in a natural environment is an extra value; in this case, in a forest.
THE BACKGROUND OF ALL THESE COMMON EXPERIENCES WILL BE A PLACE WITHIN ANOTHER PLACE: A FOREST WITHIN THE MAIGMÓ
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.