Lucas Navarro Arévalo Architecture Portfolio | MCH 2023
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The Master of Architecture in Collective Housing is a postgraduate full-time international professional program of advanced architecture design in cities, housing and energy studies presented by Universidad Politécnica of Madrid and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
MCH Program Workshops W_01. Hrvoje Njiriç. Housing the Unpredictable W_02. Andrea Deplazes. Working + Living W_03. Juan Herreros. Residential Productive Towers W_04. Elli Mosayebi. Domestic Fragments W_05. Batlle i Roig. Merging City & Nature W_06. Dietmar Eberle. 200 100 50 20 10 - Years W_07. Anne Lacaton. Housing & Reuse at SSB Specialties S_00. 3D Printing S_01. Climate, Metabolism & Architecture S_02. Housing Practice S_03. Construction & Technology. S_04. Sociology, Economy & Politics S_05. Leadership, Processes & Entrepreneurship S_06. Low Resources & Emergency Housing S_07. Urban Design & Landscape S_08. City Sciences S_09. LEED Certification
Director Dr. Arch. José María de Lapuerta Montoya General Manager Arch. Nuria Muruais Manager Assistant Celia Ramón Contact e-mail: info@mchmaster.com phone:+34 910 674 860 // +34 689 74 68 54 Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid Avda. Juan Herrera 4. 28040, Madrid. Spain © 2006-2023 MCH and its logo are registered trademarks. © 2023 Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. © 2023 Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich.
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Curriculum Vitae
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Workshops Dietmar Eberle | Shape, Structure and Façade Juan Herreros | A Playground for Digital Nomads Anne Lacaton | Inside Out Elli Mosayebi | Domestic Fragments
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Specialties Construction & Technology | From Paris to Oulu Climate, Metabolism & Architecture | Climatic Typologies City Science | Humanizing Madrid Nuevo Norte
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Research Housing Practice | The Façade Manifesto Sociology, Economics & Politics | Contribution of Responsible Real Estate Investment
Lucas Federico Navarro Arévalo Architect
Work Experience Founding Partner Architect
June 2016 - January 2023
Architect
February - July 2022
Treinta Grados Arquitectura
A society founded in 2016, dedicated to architectural works in single-family and collective housing, commercial and institutional premises. Preliminary project, project and technical management, refurbishment and architectural survey. 2D and 3D modeling. Photomontage, rendering and architectural animation. Negotiation with clients.
Dirección de Arquitectura Municipal San Miguel de Tucumán
Study and Project: Preliminary project, project, incident analysis, metric computation and construction budget.
Partner - CMO
June 2016 - November 2016 March 2018 - December 2020
Graphic designer
Participation in financial and management decision-making. Sales strategies based on the latest trends in video games and local competition, maximizing the performance of different areas and the company’s product portfolio. Media design and publication in social networks.
Freelancer
Year 2006 - 2019
Advertising posters, merchandising, packaging, editorial pieces, corporate identity, vector illustration, photo editing, 2D and 3D multimedia, video editing, basic and commercial stationery, brochures, composition and music production.
CAD Drafter
Freelancer
Year 2013 - Year 2017
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Next Level Gaming Store
Draftsman of natural gas infrastructure works. Construction plans, according to work, surveys.
Year 2023 +34 637 81 83 61 lucasn@dr.com Tucumán, Argentina Madrid, Spain
Studies Master in Collective Housing
ETSAM - Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid ETH Zürich - Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
Master in Business Administration
Facultad de Ciencias Económicas
Year 2023
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Universidad Nacional de Tucumán
Studying
Bachelor of Architecture
Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo Universidad Nacional de Tucumán
Graduated in 2017
Diploma in Finance and Management Control
Grupo Sonnenfeld
Graphic Designer
INI Capacitación
Senior Management Consultant
Year 2018
Year 2006
Instituto Nacional de Informática
Skills Architecture Software
AutoCAD / Sketchup / Revit / Archicad / Cinema 4D / 3DS Max / Rhino / V-Ray / Lumion / Unreal Engine / Morpholio Trace / QGIS / PrusaSlicer
Graphic Design and Audiovisual Production Software
CorelDRAW / Illustrator / Photoshop / Lightroom / InDesign / After Effects / Premier Pro / Procreate / FL Studio / Studio One / Pro Tools / Sibelius
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Shape, Structure and Façade Workshop leader Dietmar Eberle (Baumschlager-Eberle Architekten) Workshop assistant Alberto Nicolau Project location Madrid, Spain Duration Five days
Approach Architecture, seen as the language of the city, emerges as a means of expression that goes beyond simply fulfilling a predefined program. Breaking away from the traditional approach focused on meeting a set of requirements, there is a glimpse of a future-oriented approach that seeks the ability to blend different periods into a single work. For a century, housing has been the epicentre of quality of life and remains a central issue. The biggest fallacy of modern architecture lies in limiting itself to fulfilling a program without considering the essence that will endure over time. The longevity of buildings lies in their acceptance by society. Beyond the quantity of structures erected, the key lies in quality. Historical representation is not just a reflection of architectural styles but a narrative intertwined with people’s lives. Architecture should not be a mere reflection of the past but an active contribution to the present and future of society. The essential question should be: why did people choose to build this? It is crucial to shift the focus from the determination of the city by buildings to public space and the atmospheres they generate. Design begins with shared spaces, with the sensations they evoke. The city, at its core, is forged at the intersection of these experiences, and architecture, as a language, must be an ongoing conversation between the past, present, and future, contributing incessantly to the social fabric.
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Tasks This workshop had a distinctive format. Each day, we confronted a diverse set of tasks at various locations throughout Madrid. Once the daily assignments were accomplished, we were required to select a colleague’s project and transition to the subsequent challenge. Task 1 First volumetric approach Task 2 Structure Task 3 Façade Task 4 General development of our preference
Sites Site 1 Madrid’s historic city center. Location developed mainly between the 16th and 18th centuries. Barrio de La Latina. Ground surface: 424 sqm.
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Site 2 Location that was developed during the last part of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Barrio de Almagro. Ground surface: 1.516 sqm.
Site 3 Location in development by buildings of this 21st century and in current densification. Barrio Imperial. Ground surface: 5.950 sqm.
Workshop: Dietmar Eberle | Shape, Structure & Façade
Task 1, Site 3 First Volumetric Approach The context of the 21st century allows us to adopt some contemporary style with some freedom. However, the approach focused on volumetric design, so it was taken as a reference to the dimensions of the surrounding buildings to maintain urban cohesion with the neighbourhood.
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Task 2, Site 1 Structure When we were in the historic part of the city, a traditional reinforced concrete structure was proposed with walls of ceramic brick masonry. The main reason is the difficulty of using prefab elements given the difficult access of cargo trucks through the narrow streets.
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Workshop: Dietmar Eberle | Shape, Structure & Façade
Task 3, Site 2 Façade Inserted in a context of the late 19th century but with adjoining buildings of the 20th century, the facade design of our building involved a mixture of these two styles to respect the urban landscape. Constructively, the façade is now completed by prefabricated industrialized panels.
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Task 4, Site 1 General Development Façade The facade takes as inspiration the regular arrangement of windows of typical historical buildings. With better protection and thermal insulation systems available today, the dimensions of the openings are more generous to allow more natural lighting and better views of the city. The detail that gives it a striking feature is the curvature of the front of the building taking advantage of the small niche formed at the junction with the adjacent building.
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Workshop: Dietmar Eberle | Shape, Structure & Façade
Structure The main intention is to adopt a structural system of reinforced concrete beams which allow interior spaces completely free of columns, which will be hidden within the walls. In addition to this, it is also proposed that sectors of bearing walls collaborate with vertical loads. This is done by using large slabs and beams that are as efficient as possible by having multiple points of support.
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Organization The main intention of this collective housing building is to achieve completely free and flexible spaces to adapt to any type of program. That is why the arrangement of the openings is not conditioned by interior walls. As for circulation, there is a single nucleus of vertical circulation in the centre of the building, avoiding the waste of unnecessary square meters of corridors.
105 sqm
155 sqm
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Workshop: Dietmar Eberle | Shape, Structure & Façade
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Façade Section 1 50 mm layer of gravel; protective mat two-layer bituminous roof seal, upper layer with 10 mm stone chippings 180-270 mm polyurethane rigid-foam thermal insulation to falls; bituminous vapour barrier 250 mm reinforced concrete roof, painted. 2 Precast concrete sandwich element: 80 mm anthracite-coloured reinforced concrete facing slab; stopping coat to formwork; stainless- steel anchor through 200 mm exp. polystyrene thermal insulation; 160 mm reinf. concrete bearing layer, stopped and painted. 3 3 mm anodised alum. surround, bent to shape. 4 35 mm compacted exp. polystyrene fixing layer. 5 20 mm soft-fibre sheet (only next to window). 6 Firebreak: 200 mm rock-wool thermal insulation. 7 20 mm bed of mortar. 8 Sleeve with Ø 20 mm steel fixing rod. 9 Ø 60 mm corrugated sheath in reinf. cone. floor; mortar filling to fix steel rod/precast element. 10 Needle-felt carpet; smoothing layer; epoxy-resin seal; 250 mm reinf. cone. floor, painted.
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A Playground for Digital Nomads Productive Residential Towers
Workshop leader Juan Herreros (Estudio Herreros) Workshop assistant Pedro Pitarch Project location Madrid, Spain Team Gabriel Barba (Peru), Andrés Melo (Colombia), Brittany Siegert (United States Duration Five days
About the Program “Productive Residential Towers” is a research program that aims to reassess the models for thinking and designing contemporary collective housing, particularly within the context of social, economic, health, and climate crises in our cities. The proposal seeks to address the demand to regenerate and requalify urban areas for new types of citizens with more creative, engaged, and demanding lifestyles, diverging from conventional norms. It focuses on areas of opportunity, especially on tall office buildings gradually being abandoned. These buildings require a diversification of their program and reintegration into the urban fabric that rejects monofunctional zones. Additionally, it aims to meet the growing demand for productive activities in the city by eliminating industrial ghettos and promoting the integration of contemporary production into residential neighbourhoods.
Objectives The main subject of the course is Project Techniques, their methodologies and resources. For this, the research takes as starting data “realistic” the apparently utopian and radically propositional conceptions that can be understood as viable proposals of high novelty. It is about proposing something new but produced with the naturalness that accompanies the ideas necessary for their opportunism. The objective is to create a state of collective reflection of a continuous and coincident character in which any type of contribution -documentary, written, oral, graphic...- has meaning, accumulating a quantity of material ready to be shared. Given the urgency of the workshop, the material produced must be of maximum communicative capacity as architectural documents.
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Task The exercise consisted of transforming an iconic building in Madrid, originally used for offices, into a Productive Residential Tower. The building was the Picasso Tower, designed by Minoru Yamasaki.
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Workshop: Juan Herreros | A Playground for Digital Nomads
Project Description It was decided to transform it into a playground for digital nomads due to the high and growing demand from individuals arriving in Madrid. The area, open floor plan and location of the tower were seen as an opportunity. The primary challenge from the outset was the rigidity and monotony of the tower, a characteristic opposed to the concept of a playground. The decision was made to furnish the building with temporary productive apartments and complementary vertical urban spaces. We asked ourselves, why do people come to Madrid? Is it for urban life? Then the building must also be endowed with a piece of that life.
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Analysis of the Existing Building The Picasso Tower posed a challenge due to its primary characteristic: the repetition and rigidity inherent in its design. The structure comprises 47 identical floors, each one of 38x50m. This repetitiveness is evident in both the floor layout and the facade design, and, naturally, in the overall structural arrangement. In light of these constraints, the question arises: How can one foster diverse spaces to accommodate the preferences sought by digital nomads arriving in Madrid? How to have a park on the 30th floor, a square on the 15th floor, or a diving pool on the 40th floor?
Large interior core
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Lack of hierarchy in repetitive floor slabs
Open floor plan + Minimal glazing
Workshop: Juan Herreros | A Playground for Digital Nomads
Strategies for the New Building What we were considering in the previous questions was the creation of urban spaces within a vertical building, requiring the maximum available open area and open floors to the exterior. The existing building was highly enclosed, with 37% of each floor occupied by the circulation core. To address this, we devised the following strategies: 1. Reduce the central core to 12%, sufficient for comfortable circulation but allocating more space to the building’s public areas. 2. By having larger spaces and supplementing with additional area, we could establish hierarchical public spaces at intervals, serving as an analogy to the urban diversity found in a city. 3. Perforate the facade to create a building where various activities can take place in connection with the exterior.
Reduction of the interior core
Create hierarchy + Variety of spaces
Perforation of tructural facade
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Old and New Section Section of the old and new projects. The primary challenge from the outset was to overcome monotony. The added volumes enable a variety of new spaces in the building, both private and public, and highlight the retained spaces from the office tower, which remain equally essential for a digital nomad.
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Workshop: Juan Herreros | A Playground for Digital Nomads
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Typology 1 Ground floor The intention of this typology was to offer all the amenities to individuals temporarily residing in the room, regardless of their occupation. Whatever the needs of the occupant might be, they could be temporarily stored or obtained from the side storage unit.
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Workshop: Juan Herreros | A Playground for Digital Nomads
Typology 1 Upper floor Considering comfort and the profile of individuals, typically young, who commonly travel as digital nomads, the aim was to disrupt the conventional separation between bedroom and workspace, incorporating elements of a “playground” into the room.
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Section Diagram Diagram of what is intended to be achieved in the Picasso Tower. The former office structure would be used for accommodation. Besides, the newly generated spaces are designated for a variety of outdoor activities such as skate parks, green spaces, climbing areas, etc.
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Workshop: Juan Herreros | A Playground for Digital Nomads
Urban Life Despite what many people think about digital no mads, 44% work more hours than before becoming one, even during weekends and outside of regular working hours (El Pais, 2023). This often leaves little time to walk around the city. How, then, can one access the city’s amenities while residing temporarily in a tower? With the implemented strategies, various outdoor spaces were created, including squares, public pools, parks, and even commercial areas. In this way, the building aims to align with the concept of a 15-minute city, which is a consideration for digital nomads when choosing a city.
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Original Picasso tower by Minoru Yamasaki
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Workshop: Juan Herreros | A Playground for Digital Nomads
New Picasso Tower “Playground for Digital Nomads” proposal
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Inside Out
Housing & Reuse at SBB Workshop leader Anne Lacaton (Lacaton & Vassal) Workshop assistant Diego García- Setién Project location Zürich, Switzerland Team Camila Cano (Colombia), Krishna Yadav (India) Duration Five days
Qualities of inhabiting This workshop focused on defining and exemplifying optimal conditions for living in the city. The city should provide an exceptional quality of life by offering a large range of facilities, proximities, and pleasures, as well as a large variety of dwelling typologies to fit different needs, expectations and ways of life: living in a public space, living in the neighbourhood, living collectively within a close community, and living individually. Defining a set of principles should be mandatory before designing architecture, especially dwellings. To do so, it is fundamental to hold a critical position as an essential part of the design process. To ignite the workshop, we had to define, in one or two sentences, 1 important and specific quality that housing should have, so that later on, each group could start with 3 or 4 important qualities to be respected by their group projects, such as strong design objectives. These qualities are related to architectural or spatial qualities and act as a starting point and guideline for the workshop. We could start analyzing and criticizing the current state of universal housing today, and posing some fundamental questions, to build our own critical position. The resulting project could become not only an answer for the particular site, but act as a Housing Manifesto addressing essential Quality Principles, as if some sort of «Articles of a Constitution» agreed and shared by the whole group.
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The Narrative
Generosity Transparency Pleasure and imagination 1.Qualities of Inhabiting
Capacity of appropriation Freespace and extra-space Inside outside continuity Private outdoor space Open structure
“Our home is the witness. It is the stage and life is theatre. It makes us as we make it.” Architecture as Autobiography 34
Workshop: Anne Lacaton | Inside Out
2. Interpretation of Qualities in Fragments
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3. Designing Housing Typologies From Fragments
4. Densifying Following Structure Grid
5. De-densifying to Gain Green Public Spaces
6. Giving Each Unit a Private Outdoor Space
Workshop: Anne Lacaton | Inside Out
The Site This workshop explores the potential reuse of obsolete industrial facilities turned into mixed-use and dwelling structures to foster good conditions of life in the context of the Master in Collective Housing. We worked at the complex site in Kreis (Zurich) owned by the Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB), the swiss national railway company and occupied by workshop sheds, still used as a train reparation center. Here there should be an opportunity to avoid demolition and find alternative strategies to provide good living conditions on the site. The strategy is to design the project inside the factory.
A B C D
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Typologies • 1: single floor, 40 sqm, 19 units. • 2: duplex, 49 sqm, 19 units. • 3: single floor, 86 sqm, 13 units. • 4: duplex, 125 sqm, 19 units. • 5: coliving single room, 32 sqm, 20 units. • 6: coliving rooms, 55 sqm, 32 units. • Coliving area, 1.456 sqm. • Commerce, 452 sqm. • Private gardens, 4.000 sqm.
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Workshop: Anne Lacaton | Inside Out
Circulation Built area Existing buildings Entrances Public circulation
Public Spaces Interior public gardens Non-built area Exterior private gardens Fountains
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Workshop: Anne Lacaton | Inside Out
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Workshop: Anne Lacaton | Inside Out
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Domestic Fragments Workshop leader Elli Mosayebi (Edelaar Mosayebi Inderbitzin Architekten) Workshop assistant Álvaro M. Fidalgo Project location Purmamarca, Jujuy, Argentina Team Santiago Aguirre (Chile), Stephany Pavon (Honduras) Duration Five days
Assignment A critical intellectual engagement with forms of contemporary urban housing serves as the focus of the studio project, in the design of an apartment. In this, design is to be understood as an instrument for experiencing the present age and generating knowledge. The modest scale of the projects will allow us to concentrate on the many themes of the interior, the form of the dwelling, fundamental architectural elements and the climate.
Project Each design starts with a specific idea of dwelling, prioritizing spatial and architectural potential over social relevance. The concept challenges the traditional idea of ‘individual dwellings,’ allowing for buildings designed for collective living where such distinctions become irrelevant. These structures may not only serve as dwelling spaces but also integrate work, contemplation, or other activities. The key requirement is that the apartment can accommodate multiple individuals living independently. In addition to the dwelling concept, a specific architectural element can drive the design. This element, directly related to the intended purpose, can be a standalone inspiration or complement the primary concept. These elements encompass more than structural components like windows, doors, and stairs, extending to secondary and movable elements such as kitchen and bathroom components, as well as furniture like beds, tables, curtains, etc. Ultimately it is also conceivable to take such an element as the primary origin of the project, i.e. to develop the dwelling on the basis of an architectural element or a piece of furniture. Can you imagine an inhabited staircase? How would you design a floor plan based on a chimney? Can the placement of columns define a dwelling space? How would a dwelling look that primarily serves sleeping, and in which the bed is at the centre? Who would inhabit such spaces? 45
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Workshop: Elli Mosayebi | Domestic Fragments
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Task The task consisted of designing an architectural proposal based on certain concepts and places with specific climate conditions that each group was assigned by lot. In the case of our group, the assigned verbs of collective activities were “Accommodating guests” and “Collecting”, the spatial element was “Armchair” and the place was some with the climatic condition “Cold desert climate”. Accommodating guests The concept of the building consists of a collective and transitory accommodation for tourists seeking to be part of the festivities and rituals originating in Purmamarca, such as the Carnival and the Pachamama festival. Collecting The main construction system is rammed earth, and the concept of “collecting” is justified by building the walls of this material mixing the different minerals from the “Hill of the 7 colors”, located a few kilometers from the place. Armchair The roof consists of a long staircase along the building that serves as bleachers to witness the processions and rituals that take place in the festivities. The “armchair” in this case are the seats formed by each step. Cold desert climate The place chosen is Purmamarca, a picturesque pre-Columbian village in the arid mountains of Jujuy, in northern Argentina. the climate is usually hot and warm in a few instances, not typically as hot as hot desert climates and tend to feature cold, dry summers and winters.
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Workshop: Elli Mosayebi | Domestic Fragments
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Workshop: Elli Mosayebi | Domestic Fragments
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From Paris to Oulu Specialty Construction & Technology Specialty leader Ignacio Fernández Solla Specialty assistants Archie Campbell, David Castro, Diego García-Setién Project location Oulu, Finland Team Fernando González (Mexico), Brittany Siegert (United States), Alejandro Yañez (Mexico) Duration Three weeks
About the specialty The aim of the module is to understand buildings as entities based on the interplay of three physical realms: structure, envelope and services, connected by a process: industrialization. At the end of the module, students will have understood design and construction as one continuous process. Design is not possible without construction, and vice-versa, if our buildings are supposed to be real architecture. Students will develop a culture of construction in parallel to their evolving culture of design.
Task Case studies were assigned to each group to be relocated to different parts of the world with different technological contexts. Our assigned case study was the Rue des Orteaux building by Babled Nouvet Reynaud Architectes in Paris, France, which is located in a continental context, humid climate zone, and moving the project to a city with a highly industrialized economy. The place we have chosen is Oulu, Finland. The objective was to reconceptualize the building’s design strategies in terms of envelope, structure and services. It was necessary to reconsider construction systems and materials and search for an appropriate solution which allowed to reindustrialize the building process, related to the available resources in the new location.
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Original Project: Apartment Building in Paris 20 Social Housing Units Babled-Nouvet-Reynaud Delivered in 2013, this building of 20 social housing very intelligently meets the challenge of meeting the requirement HQE (High Environmental Quality) without reinforcement of restrictive technology. Consisting of three decreasing volumes, the main building has completely glazed facades exposed to the course of the sun. The double-skin glass and wood ensure very efficient passive heating while providing good sound insulation. • Envelope: South and east facades are made up of an exterior layer of sliding glass doors, and interior layer of glass doors and heat-collecting concrete walls, and an intermediate roller shade imediately behind the exterior glazing. • Facilities: Located along north and west facades to accomodate the south and east facing double-glazed facade. • Structure: A post-slab concrete structural system uses less concrete, allows light to permeate deep within the building, and allows for future programatic flexibility.
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Specialty: Construction & Technology | From Paris to Oulu
Proposal: Apartment Building in Oulu The proposed number of units is 6 per floor, with 30 units total and 60 sq m per unit. The building has 6 levels and the total size is 2180 sq m. • Envelope: The facades towards the street are formed by industrialized panels with high insulation. The interior facades to the south are large windowings designed in two layers for maximum solar gain, large views and internal heat retention. The roof shape is designed for collecting water from rain and snow. • Facilities: Located between public circulation and units with maximum accessibility. It includes a hydraulic heating system, rainwater and greywater and blackwater collection system, radiant floor heating system, besides electrical installation and ventilation by ducts. • Structure: Use of concrete in pile foundations (due to the proximity of the sea and ground conditions) and in prefabricated vertical circulation elements. Wooden structures respond to the building culture of the place, contributing to the reduction of CO2.
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Apartment Unit As Oulu is a prominent research and technology hub, home to several universities and research facilities, our target demographic are post-graduate student and young professional renters who will typically live in Oulu for 2-5 years. The apartments will be reduced from multi-bedroom to small studio apartments for only 1-2 individuals. The building will incorporate shared spaces for cooking, working, socializing and exercising in addition to the individual apartment units. The main idea of the project is based on an industrialized system consisting of 3 different stages: the construction of the structure on site, the modular elements containing the infrastructure, and the panelled prefabricated facade. It is expected to implement quality control and achieve cost efficiency and a reduced time process.
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Specialty: Construction & Technology | From Paris to Oulu
Panelised façade
Modular element
On site element
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MCH Portfolio | Lucas Navarro Arévalo
Exploded Construction Axonometrics On site element 1 2 3 4
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CLT structural wall Insulation wall Interior glazing Exterior glazing
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Microcement screed Self leveling mortar Radiant floor Expansion joint Thermal insulation XPS CLT slab Vibration pad
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12 CLT beams
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Specialty: Construction & Technology | From Paris to Oulu
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Modular element & Panelised façade 1 CLT module roof slab 2 CLT beams 3 CLT structural walls 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Wooden threshold Microcement screed Self leveling mortar Radiant floor Expansion joint Thermal insulation xps CLT slab Supports for lifting CLT beams Vibration pad
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Kitchen unit Bathroom unit Wall covering Doors
18 Bracing 19 Thermal insulation 20 21 22 23 24 25
Steel frame Densglass sheating Membrane Rainscreen mineral wool Cladding support Cladding
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Specialty: Construction & Technology | From Paris to Oulu
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Details The modules are self-bearing assemblies which consist of a load-bearing floor, ceiling structures and load-bearing vertical structures. The structures, furnishing, finishing, and fittings of the modules are assembled at the prefabrication factory. Foundations, module lifting and stacking, assembling inter-module connections and module-to-module interface finishing remain on-site duties in fully modular building.
Detail A
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Detail B
Detail C
Specialty: Construction & Technology | From Paris to Oulu Detail A 9 1 7
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Microcement screed Self leveling mortar CLT slab Vibration pad
3 mm 22 mm 100 mm 10 mm
5 2mm expansion joint 6 40 mm CLT beam
400 mm
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7 120 x 120 mm windowing base 8 30 mm wooden fascia 9 Single glazing in aluminum pane: - 4 mm laminated safety glass
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Detail B
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Microcement screed Self leveling mortar Radiant floor Thermal insulation xps CLT slab Supports for lifting Vibration pad
3 mm 22 mm 45 mm 50 mm 100 mm 120 mm 10 mm
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8 2mm expansion joint
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9 CLT module roof slab 10 CLT beam 11 CLT beam
60 mm 400 mm 280 mm
Detail C 1 2
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20 mm wooden wall covering 90 Mm thermal insulation Steel frame 16 mm GP densglass sheating Air, water & vapour barrier 75 mm rainscreen mineral wool 30 mm wooden cladding
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Climatic Typologies Body, Climate And Architecture
Specialty Climate, Metabolism & Architecture. Towards Post-Sustainability Specialty leader Javier García-Germán Project location Barcelona, Spain Team Fredy Quispe (Peru), Paloma Romero (Mexico), Ángela Tamayo (Mexico) Duration Two weeks
About the specialty The module focuses on climatic questions and on the metabolic dimension of architecture, exploring the design opportunities which thermodynamics and ecology have opened to the field of collective housing, with the objective of finding design strategies which bridge the void between quantitative and qualitative approaches.
Task The objective was to design a 20-unit collective housing building starting from the particular atmospheres demanded by its users. First, we had to explore the interactions between the local climate, the spatial and material particularities of architecture, and the lifestyle of its users. Based on this, we had to give a precise architectural response to climate designing spatial and material systems to interact with inhabitation patterns.
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Climate
Anual Average Temperature
The climate of Barcelona is Mediterranean coastal, with hot summers and mild winters. Its high relative humidity throughout the year negatively influences comfort, so taking advantage of the winds for passive croos ventilation is paramount.
21.2 °C during the day 15.1 °C at night
Climate Zones
Subtropical zone
Tropical zone
Temperate zone
Polar and subpolar zone
Average Temperature
Predominant Winds 0º
40 ºC 45º
315º
30 ºC 26 ºC
Comfort zone
20 ºC
90º
270º
10 ºC 135º
225º 180º
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Specialty: Climate, Metabolism & Architecture | Climatic Typologies
Average Humidity 100% 80%
Relative air humidity
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Psychrometric chart Barcelona has 1,423 hours of comfort, which is only 16% of the year. Implementing these passive design strategies efficiently can increase the comfort time during the year up to about 80%. • Sun protection in summer to reduce high temperatures and high solar radiation. • Natural ventilation in summer to counteract high apparent temperatures caused by high relative humidity. • Mass cooling of materials to acclimate spaces through thermal inertia. • Internal gains as thermal energy produced by occupation density and type of activity within spaces. • Passive solar heating in winter by maximizing the amount of solar radiation that enters the building and is absorbed by its thermal mass.
100%
90% 80% 70% 60%
Natural ventilation 50%
Sun shading of windows 40% 19°C 30%
Winter
-5
0
Hrs 1
176
5
10 Passive solar heating
15 Internal gains
20%
Comfort zone
10%
20
25
30
35
Mass cooling
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Climate A relevant factor is the humidity in Barcelona, it’s important to have a good ventilation to make it possible for people to sweat and evaporate the sweat when the temperature is too hot, this way the cooling effect works. This images show two clear examples of how people live in winter and in summer in Barcelona and the places they use to cope with the different climate conditions.
• Direct sun radiation. Social cultures seeks outdoor spaces, even in winter • Spaces blocking the cold winter breeze
• Body convective air cooling of fresh mediterraneano ocean marine breeze • High temeperatures under direct sun light • Cooling vasodilation process
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Specialty: Climate, Metabolism & Architecture | Climatic Typologies
Prototype Summer Day Sun protection to reduce high temperatures and high solar radiation. Natural ventilation to counteract high apparent temperatures caused by high relative humidity.
Summer Night Mass cooling of materials to acclimate spaces through thermal inertia. Natural cross and stack ventilation to get rid of hot and stale air
6 am cold north wind 10 am south wind Sun protection with vegetation Cold basement
8 pm north wind Vertical humidity reduction Cold basement
Winter Day Passive solar heating in winter by maximizing the amount of solar radiation that enters the building and is absorbed by its thermal mass.
Winter Night Internal gains as thermal energy produced by occupation density and type of activity within spaces. Materials with thermal mass to release heat gained by direct solar radiation.
Open south façade Deciduous vegetation allows solar gain Heat rises
Heavy courtains contain heat Low-E glazing in windows Close prototype to contain heat Heat rises
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CLT Wood & Wood Structure Reusable, recyclable and renewable material to be 100% natural. It is thermal and acoustic insulation. Its low specific weight makes it a lightweight material and very suitable for prefabrication. Its thermal resistance is 0.13 W/mK.taking advantage of the winds for passive croos ventilation is paramount.
Prefabricated Concrete Self-regulator material. Very suitable for this project because it has the capacity to absorb and store heat from direct solar radiation. Great dimensional accuracy and finishes. Faster erection at site. Its thermal resistance is 0.33 W/mK.
Thermal Insulation with Cellulose Thermal and acoustic insulating material. Regulates humidity. It is made of recycled paper and is 100% natural. It has very low carbon footprint. Its thermal resistance is 0.039 W/mK.
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Specialty: Climate, Metabolism & Architecture | Climatic Typologies
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Specialty: Climate, Metabolism & Architecture | Climatic Typologies
Summer Winter
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Humanizing Madrid Nuevo Norte Specialty City Science Specialty leaders Julia Landaburu, Susana Isabel Project location Madrid, Spain Team Gabriel Barba (Peru), Fernando González (Mexico), Isabel Monsalve (Ecuador), Brittany Siegert (United States), Alejandro Yañez (Mexico) Duration Two weeks
About the Specialty City science, a compelling frontier in urban development, serves as the application of science and research to confront the complex challenges embedded in modern cities. This innovative approach hinges on evidence-based methodologies, driving a dynamic process that can be dissected into three key phases: research diagnosis, analyzing science/research, and responding. 1.
2.
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Research Diagnosis: The foundation of city science lies in the meticulous collection of urban data, constituting a comprehensive research diagnosis. This phase involves gathering evidence that paints a vivid picture of the city’s dynamics, from demographic trends to environmental indicators. Analyzing Science/Research: The amassed data is then subjected to a meticulous analysis, transforming raw information into actionable knowledge. This critical step prompts the question, “So what?” The findings and conclusions derived from this analysis become the bedrock upon which informed decisions and strategies are built. Responding: Armed with key findings, the city science approach moves into the responding phase. This involves the implementation of design and policy measures tailored to address specific urban challenges. The fundamental question guiding this phase is, “Why? What challenge are you trying to solve?”
City science, as a strategic approach, takes aim at the multifaceted challenges prevalent in modern urban landscapes. These challenges span resiliency and climate change, decarbonization, evolving mobility paradigms, social inequalities, an aging population, affordable housing, urban health, clean water accessibility, and green urban development. This intricate tapestry of issues necessitates innovative and evidence-driven solutions. By adopting the principles of city science, urban planners and policymakers can chart a course towards the creation of sustainable, resilient, and inclusive cities that effectively cater to the diverse needs of their residents.
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Project Our exploration of city science focused on Madrid Nuevo Norte, manifested as an “implementation lab.” Our final submission featured a visionary masterplan for the site and a detailed district plan, showcasing the practical application of the city science approach. Guided by a thorough methodology, we conducted a diagnostic phase analyzing territorial and real estate aspects, followed by envisioning sustainability scenarios. The subsequent phases involved crafting a detailed masterplan integrating layout specifics, feasibility considerations, and urban design elements. The narrative culminated in the implementation phase, where our vision translated into reality through territorial, social, and real estate strategies. This hands-on journey transformed Madrid Nuevo Norte into a living testament to the transformative power of city science.
Madrid Nuevo Norte The route of Madrid follows a historical axis that starts in Atocha, to the south and reaches the Plaza de Castilla, to the north. It is its route full of historical buildings, first, and towers and offices, later. But as we move beyond the Puerta de Europa -these iconic twin-sloping skyscrapers- the urban fabric blurs. There is the station of Chamartín, the beginning of a large unused area in which a beach of tracks and several empty lots extend 5.6 kilometres in a northerly direction, until the link with the M-40. The neighbourhoods on either side are seen but not touched. An urban wound that Madrid Nuevo Norte intends to close, becoming one of the most important urban regeneration projects in Madrid.
Paseo de La Castellana
17th C
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18th C
19th C
20th C
20th-21th C
21th C
Specialty: City Science Humanizing Madrid Nuevo Norte
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Strategies In our urban planning strategy, we prioritize comprehensive connectivity across economic, social, and infrastructural layers. Our approach involves establishing a robust link from the southern to the northern city through the Castellana and business axis. Simultaneously, we focus on connecting the technological hub in the north with surrounding neighbourhoods, ensuring a seamless blend of innovation and community growth. Another key aspect is the total integration of neighbourhoods along the east-west axis, fostering harmony and equal development. Additionally, we aim to grow and connect the southern healthcare axis, enhancing accessibility and resilience. Lastly, our commitment extends to green spaces, weaving a network from the south to the north, ensuring nature is intricately integrated into the urban fabric. This strategic vision aims to create a cohesive, inclusive, and resilient city where each element contributes to a vibrant urban tapestry.
Neighbourhood Connection
Technology Center Castellana Axis
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Business Axis
Specialty: City Science Humanizing Madrid Nuevo Norte
“Cities are complex systems whose infrastructural, economic and social components are strongly interrelated and therefore difficult to understand in isolation.” ( Jacobs, 1961)
Total Neighbourhood Integration
Green Connection
Healthcare Connection
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Existing Green Spaces
New Green Spaces
Existing Buildings
New Buildings
Existing Mobility
New Mobility
Specialty: City Science Humanizing Madrid Nuevo Norte
Small Scale Designing for smallness is tightly associated with the range of our perceptible space and proportional to our body size. small scale cities also encourage interaction among residents and create social cohesion spaces-streets, buildings, neighborhoods, associations, etc.
Life+Work Mix The purpose of pulling the two programs closer is to take care of citizen’s mental health by building a strong connection between body, mind and the physical environment.
Permeable Public Space Designing for smallness is tightly associated with the range of our perceptible space and proportional to our body size.
Integrating Nature Having more greenery augments a city’s ability to cleans the air and absolve water, which makes the city more inhabitable and resilience. Also, landscape practice, should adapt to local geographical conditions, such as climate and topography.
Reusing + Saving Old Buildings Cultural and natural heritages should be assigned more weight in locating new towns and reviving old ones.
Reusing + Saving Old Buildings This is usually seen as a luxury or something only affordable if you live in a city center. Populations of less walkable areas tend to be less diverse and have lower incomes, higher unemployment rates, lower access to education, less space for recreation, etc. The big challenge is also to transform existing neighborhoods into human- scale cities.
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15-Minute City In crafting our project strategies, we delved into the intricacies of urban dynamics through a focused 15-minute city analysis and proposal. This comprehensive examination encompassed a spectrum of essential elements, ranging from commerce and healthcare to public spaces, education, entertainment, and working environments. Our approach was rooted in fostering a rich and diverse array of activities across various scales, acknowledging the dynamic interplay between these facets.
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Commerce
Healthcare
Public Spaces
Education
Entertainment
Working
Specialty: City Science Humanizing Madrid Nuevo Norte
In envisioning the urban landscape, we sought not only to address immediate needs but to cultivate a thriving ecosystem where residents could seamlessly access essential services and engage in a multitude of activities within a 15-minute radius. This commitment to a plurality of activities at different scales forms the foundation of our strategy, aiming to create a city that is not only functional but also vibrant and responsive to the diverse needs of its inhabitants.
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The Façade Manifesto Specialty Housing Practice Research leader Fernando Altozano Completion time Seven months
Specialty approach In the realm of housing discipline, our exploration embarked from a fundamental concept: the departure from individual “villas” proved unsustainable, steering us towards collective housing with a holistic approach founded on a “social commitment” ethos. The essence of the form and shape are derived both from external influences and internal considerations, respectively. The crux of our inquiry centred on the development of housing knowledge. How is such knowledge conceived? What defines quality in this context? Our journey prompted us to ponder the transition from clues to concrete ideas and the quantification of historical knowledge. We grappled with the challenge of incorporating new ideas, topics, and concepts into our existing mental map.
Research Our approach involved the systematic analysis of each housing example as intricate systems. The process began with the professor assigning 30 collective housing buildings, complemented by an additional 20 examples proposed by each participant. The overarching objective was to construct a novel framework for analyzing collective housing systems, with a pronounced emphasis on metaphors and narratives. Keywords like “map,” “matrix,” “catalogue,” “galaxy,” and “structure” resonated as we delved into this intellectual exercise, aiming to craft a fresh perspective on collective housing that transcended traditional boundaries and opened up new avenues of understanding.
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Work Introduction This work is conceived as an exercise in self-knowledge and, at the same time, self-unknowing, eliminating the confirmatory and boring practice of the systematic. It aims to be the catalyst for a thought that was not in the consciousness of the author but rather in potential, giving substance to phantoms, desiring the imminence produced by the miracle of perplexity. It is the perfect excuse to deeply immerse oneself in a subject that, analyzed per se, has the aroma of a taboo: The facade is a vital matter and must be respected again.
Manifesto for the Revaluation of the Facade in Architecture The manifesto advocates for the reevaluation of the facade in architecture, emphasizing its role beyond mere decoration. Architects and design enthusiasts propose a shift in perception, viewing the facade as a crucial mediator, contextualizer, and communicator of meaning. Key proposals include recognizing the facade as a tangible interface between architecture and the community, promoting changes in architectural education to prioritize facade studies, rejecting the relegation of the facade to the last stage of the design process in practice, and understanding the facade’s responsibility in defining urban spaces. The manifesto calls for the evolution of facades through the exploration of new technologies and materials, emphasizing sustainability. Finally, the manifesto underscores the responsibility of facades to communicate community values and aspirations, advocating for inclusivity and representation in architectural design. The overall message is a call to action to restore the facade to its preeminent place as a critical component of architecture, capable of enriching cities and communities through education, practice, and innovation.
Analysis The project involves visually analyzing the facades of collective residential buildings worldwide, emphasizing the facade as the most significant vertical aspect with extensive contact with public space and the urban environment. The analysis includes drawing elevations that consider elements like silhouette, openings, decorative features, entrance, and ground line. Drawing each building necessitates a comprehensive understanding of compositional reasons, involving parallel analysis of photographs, floor plans, diagrams, construction details, and visual documentation. The research explores various paths, initially considering pattern, silhouette, fractal complexity, three-dimensionality, and the facade-entrance relationship. The decision was made to focus the research specifically on the pattern. The objective of this visual and abstract research is to present this methodology as one of the many possible approaches to be developed, with a focus on a new way of studying existing facades, and to use the results to transform them into innovative tools for facade analysis and composition.
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Specialty: Housing Practice | Research: The Façade Manifesto
Methodology 1. Selection of Works Criteria for selection included popularity on architecture websites, easy access to documentation, representation of an interesting style, personal appeal to the analyst, and exclusion of works with dynamic or ephemeral elements.
2. Drawing of the Facade Hand-drawn or digitally illustrated examples using Procreate and Adobe Illustrator with specific parameters.
3. Identification of the Pattern After drawing, a single, repeatable, and significant pattern in the facade’s design was identified, representing the “compositional DNA.”
4. Creation of the Motif The identified pattern was repeated to form a motif, using different types of repetition like grid repetition.
5. Application of the Motif The motif was applied within the silhouettes of other buildings to generate multiple variants for facade analysis and creative composition.
Conclusion The work aims to redefine the facade’s role beyond decoration, emphasizing its communication with the public and surroundings. It challenges collective thinking, advocating for changes in architectural education, considering facades from the design outset, and recognizing their significance in shaping urban spaces. It emphasizes the evolution of architecture and the exploration of new technologies. The proposed exercise seeks to be an innovative tool in building composition, with results being personal and subjective due to the visual nature of the exercise.
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Ribeira 11 | Ricardo Carvalho Arquitectos | Lisbon, Portugal | 2022
Edificio COPA | Ça Arquitectura | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2021
195 Clarkson | AB Architekten urrer Architekten Brooklyn, United States | 2019
Hansaviertel | Alvar Aalto | Berlin, Germany | 1957
Curtain Call Apartment Todot Architects and Partners Goyang-Si, South Korea | 2021
Inside Out | Arenas Basabé Palacios Arquitectos | Madrid, Spain | 2021
Residential Buiding | Durrer Architekten Sarnen, Switzerland | 2015
35 Social Housing Units | mobile architectural office | Paris, France | 2020
77 Logements | Alta + Atelier 56S | Rennes, France | 2023
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Claudio Coello 121 Arenas Basabé Palacios Arquitectos Madrid, Spain | 2020
Specialty: Housing Practice | Research: The Façade Manifesto
The Paupys Yards | arches | Vilnius, Lithuania | 2020
The Cosmopolitan | Bogdan & Van Broeck Brussels, Belgium| 2019 Stora Sjöfallet | Joliarkr | Stockholm, Sweden | 2016
Apartment Plus | Rafat Mazur & Lukasz Gaj Lowicz, Poland | 2022
Hansaviertel | Oscar Niemeyer | Berlin, Germany | 1957
Cartagena 312 OAB Barcelona, Spain | 2019
Castilho 203 ARX Portugal Arquitectos Lisbon, Portugal| 2020
Edificio Verona 203A David Chipperfield | Madrid, Spain | 2008
Prinsenhoek| Neutelings & Riedjik | Sittard, Netherlands | 1995
027 OBK | Barrault Pressacco Paris, France | 2018
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Contribution of Responsible Real Estate Investment to Counteract Socio-Spatial Segregation in Familistic Welfare States Theoretical Essay
Specialty Sociology, Economics & Politics Research leader Daniel Sorando Completion time Five months
Introduction
Socio-spatial segregation is a complex and concerning phenomenon affecting many cities around the world, generating inequalities and tensions in social fabric. In familistic (also known as Latin Rim) welfare states, such as Spain, this issue is particularly pronounced due to the combination of housing systems and dualistic welfare regimes. In this context, responsible intervention in real estate properties emerges as a key strategy to counteract the negative effects of socio- spatial segregation and promote greater integration and equity within cities. This essay explores how responsible investment can contribute to addressing this challenge.
Context
Dualistic welfare regimes present in familistic cluster countries, characterized by an intermediate approach between liberal and social democratic welfare, often involve less state intervention in housing provision compared to more developed welfare regimes. Instead of direct state provision, self-provision is encouraged, relying more on family networks and the market to meet housing needs. This context can influence housing tenure patterns and ethnic and socio-spatial segregation in various ways. Additionally, the thesis of polarization in global cities like Madrid and Barcelona suggests that increasing socioeconomic inequality in cities more connected to global flows leads to greater residential segregation among different social categories, resulting in inequalities and spatial fragmentation. In this aspect, the distinctive characteristics of Southern European countries hold a significantly different meaning from those of Northern countries: concepts of family, heritage, and self-promotion of housing are deeply rooted in rural culture and traditions. The “Deficit of Stateness” and the controversial collective debate over whether housing is considered a right, a good, or an asset have given rise to a complex and diversified market.
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Socially Responsible Real Estate Investment The durability of properties as a universal necessity refuge makes them susceptible to speculation. Socially Responsible Property Investment (SRPI) involves considering not only financial returns but also the social, environmental, and governance impacts of properties. This approach seeks to promote practices that benefit both investors and the wider community. In the context of socio-spatial segregation in Spain, responsible investment can play a crucial role in various aspects.
Implementation
The global shift towards sustainable development is tied to the leadership of real estate developers, asset managers, and investors in terms of mitigating socio-spatial segregation in cities. However, the lack of effective valuation indices and practices increases uncertainty about investment in sustainable and responsible properties. The implementation of new indices could reveal whether SRPI contributes positively, neutrally, or negatively to returns. In any of these cases, the discussion could focus on public incentives to counteract negative effects and promote spatial distribution equity within cities. Consequently, establishing SRPI indices is imperative for effectively addressing socio-spatial segregation. To implement this, regulations aimed at public and private real estate developers, at all scales, are proposed to establish minimum standards of environmental, urban, and social quality solutions. Perhaps the most important aspect to consider is the long-term goal of eradicating real estate speculation. Responsible real estate investment in the coming decades aims to eliminate the assignment of properties to merely speculative financial assets and base its business on value contribution through constructive interventions and services. Currently, a number of investors are starting to set minimum SRPI standards for all assets within a fund. They are doing this by using independent third-party rating systems, such as the internationally used Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) rating systems and more country-specific systems such as the Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE) in Japan and the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) in Australia. None of these systems prioritize the social aspect. However, the current trend of responsible investments follows a criterion within its business model that seeks to encompass - among other issues such as environmental and fund management - social matters such as commitment to urban revitalization and affordable housing, support for public and private community development programs, health and safety rating and audit, evaluation of unaffordable commitment, local hiring and training, access to multi-modal transportation plans and facilities, urban investment focus, and design, engineering, and service awards. A good starting point could be the implementation of standards based on the Delphi Method, a structured communication technique, to gather and synthesize expert opinions. The study aims to establish a set of criteria for evaluating the responsibility of property investments, encompassing both financial and social dimensions. The research’s methodological basis involved multiple rounds of surveys with a diverse panel of experts, resulting in the identification of ten underlying dimensions for responsible property investment.
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Specialty: Sociology, Economics & Politics | Contribution of Responsible Real Estate Investment
Strategies
Comparing European welfare systems (social democratic, corporatist, familistic, and liberal) can provide data for designing strategies that improve social welfare. In this sense, familistic systems should tend to adopt corporatist universalist policies to reduce the degree of social segregation and avoid increasing spatial segregation. This would be a fundamental transitional step towards long-term decommodification of housing. Responsible investment business models should align with this trend through appropriate policies and practices. State Intervention in Housing Policies that promote greater supply of affordable and quality housing through the construction of social housing projects could be considered. This could help reduce segregation by offering more equitable housing options in different areas of the city. In this regard, the state should provide incentives to investors that allow them to achieve better benefits through construction rather than development gains. Mixed Housing Policies Encouraging diversity in community composition through mixed housing policies can help avoid excessive concentration of ethnic or socioeconomic groups in specific areas. This could be achieved through the planning and development of projects that combine different types of housing, such as social housing, rental housing, and owner-occupied housing. Rental Market Regulation Instead of relying solely on the housing market, countries could implement regulations that control rental prices and prevent tenant exploitation. This could facilitate more equitable access to housing and reduce segregation. Furthermore, a universalist strategy requires transitioning from owner occupation to a single rental market that integrates competition between private and social rentals. Investors should base their business models on these principles and be monitored through SRPI indices. It is worth noting that balancing tenures by reducing the owner-occupation rate in these countries is complicated, as there is a marked negative correlation between the owner-occupation percentage and GDP per capita in Europe, making this ratio closely tied to each country’s economic development. Improvement of Housing Quality Investing in improving the quality of housing in marginalized or disadvantaged areas can help break segregation patterns and improve residents’ living conditions. This could include the rehabilitation of existing housing, construction of basic infrastructure and services, and promotion of quality standards in construction. Instead of solely focusing on profit, investors can consider the importance of providing affordable housing options with good quality standards in their portfolios. This could be achieved through partnerships with nonprofit organizations or through collaboration agreements with local authorities. Urban Rehabilitation and Regeneration Focus could shift towards the rehabilitation and urban regeneration of degraded or marginalized areas. By revitalizing these areas, a more attractive and accessible environment is created for a variety of socioeconomic groups. Responsible investors can collaborate with local governments and community organizations to develop rehabilitation projects that prioritize inclusion and improve residents’ quality of life.
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A noteworthy point is the risk of potential imbalances between rent increase in rehabilitated areas and the stagnation of tenants’ purchasing power, making a comprehensive government plan crucial to align minimum wages (IPREM in Spain) with economic revaluation. Community Engagement and Sustainability Implementing education and awareness programs about the importance of diversity and coexistence in the city can contribute to changing attitudes and prejudices that perpetuate segregation. This could include awareness campaigns in schools, media, and the community at large. Investors can involve local residents and stakeholders in the decision-making process, ensuring that projects respond to the needs and aspirations of the community. Additionally, the incorporation of sustainable practices, such as efficient resource utilization and ecological construction, can contribute to the creation of healthier and more equitable environments. The mandatory implementation of quality and comfort guarantees must be respected from the outset of any project.
Negative Effects to Avoid
To avoid these negative effects, it is essential that the private real estate sector collaborates with local government, communities, and other stakeholders to develop projects that promote inclusion, diversity, and the overall well-being of the city. Comprehensive urban planning and consideration of social, economic, and environmental factors are crucial to mitigate potential harm from the private real estate sector. An irresponsible investment and development stance can trigger gentrification, raising housing prices and living costs in previously affordable areas, resulting in the displacement of low-income residents and the loss of identity in historic communities. Excessive speculation in the real estate market could generate price bubbles and financial crises by artificially inflating property values. Touristification and Airbnb have transformed the city by focusing on tourists as the primary consumers, but despite the distortion of rental prices in surrounding housing, the control of Airbnb by professional economic actors has contradicted promised benefits, generating resistance and conflicts between urban movements and municipal administration to counteract the negative effects of gentrification. If the private sector’s focus is on luxury properties, this could concentrate wealth in certain areas, exacerbating socioeconomic segregation and limiting low-income groups’ access to quality housing and services. The lack of affordable housing, destruction of cultural heritage, environmental impacts, and social exclusion are also potential risks associated with unplanned real estate development and lack of consideration for population diversity.
Conclusion
The fight against socio-spatial segregation in familistic welfare countries requires a comprehensive and collaborative response involving both the public and private sectors. In this context, Socially Responsible Real Estate Investment (SRPI) emerges as a fundamental strategy to counteract the negative effects of segregation and promote greater equity and diversity within cities. The complex interaction between dualistic welfare regimes, self-housing provision, and socio-spatial segregation patterns underscores the need for innovative policies and practices. Responsible investment in real estate offers an approach that goes beyond financial returns, also considering social, environmental, and governance impacts. By adopting this perspective, investors can play an active role in promoting more integrated and cohesive communities.
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Specialty: Sociology, Economics & Politics | Contribution of Responsible Real Estate Investment
It is crucial for real estate developers, asset managers, and investors to take on a leadership role in mitigating segregation, collaborating with local governments and communities to create inclusive and equitable environments. Basing the business model on value creation rather than speculation is critical. Although challenges such as gentrification, speculation, touristification, and exclusion persist, responsible investment offers a hopeful perspective by seeking a balance between financial returns and social well-being. The implementation of specific indices to measure the impact of responsible investment, along with the adoption of standards based on expert opinion, can guide decision-making and foster more responsible practices. Responsible investment in real estate stands as a powerful tool to transform the urban landscape, promoting diversity, inclusion, and social cohesion. By adopting a holistic and collaborative approach, the real estate sector can play a pivotal role in creating fair and sustainable urban environments, thus contributing to progress towards equitable and harmonious development in Latin Rim welfare countries and beyond.
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