This was a juried public competition launched by the IMHAB (Municipal Institute of Housing and Renovation of Barcelona) for the design and construction supervision of a building comprising social accommodation, public facilities, and urban design works in the Gràcia neighbourhood.

Integration into the neighbourhood and the immediate surroundings was the priority of the architectural proposal, envisioning the Plaça de l’Alzina as a vast open space for the community. The design proposes an alternative massing strategy: keeping the corner free of development and relocating the building volume above two existing houses with listed façades. This approach will necessitate the drafting of a specific urban planning instrument (derived planning).

Regarding the functional programme, the public facility is distributed across the ground floor and the first floor of the existing buildings. This involves the creation of double-height spaces designed to enhance the historic value of the existing structures whilst engaging in a dialogue with the proposed new volumes. Access to the dwellings is entirely independent from the facility, and priority has been given at all times to natural ventilation and solar gain in the circulation spaces.

The design of the apartments allows for flexibility of use and the de-hierarchisation of spaces. This layout avoids the consolidation of traditional gender roles, and all dwellings feature private cantilevered balconies or terraces.

Finally, the proposal employs a lightweight industrialised construction system. This approach improves the entire construction process, reduces energy consumption and the use of fossil fuels, and minimizes the environmental impact associated with the manufacturing of materials.