MCH2020 Portfolio by oscar.maciel

MCH 2020 /

ร scar Maciel Gonzรกlez Durรกn

Works, projects, and texts produced by MCH 2020 alumni. Transcriptions, editing, and book design by the author.

To my mother, my father, and my sisters.

09.

urban design and landscape / Campamento construction and technology / from Finland to Puerto Rico low-cost and emergency housing / Bienvenido, Dominican Republic city sciences / essays

11. 23. 37. 47.

specialties

about the MCH / master of advanced studies in collective housing

index

workshops 65. 77. 87. 99. 113. 125. 137.

Amann, Cánovas, Maruri, Wajnerman / City Cohousing van Rijs, Borrego / home2share Njiric, Campaña / Superar* Brooks, de Miguel / Colon Towers Coll, Leclerc, García-Setién / Fontana Mix Deplazaes, Salmerón, Altozano / The City as Balanced Substance Eberle, Yalcin Chauca, Sotelo / Shape, Structure, and Façade

index

The Master of Advanced Studies in Collective Housing is a postgraduate professional program of advanced architecture design focused on housing, city, and energy studies. The value of this unique program lies in its excellence and practice-oriented synthesis of design with integrated disciplines and theoretical issues of dwelling and housing.

Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s course ranked in number three by Best Architecture Masters 2020.

urban design and landscape / Campamento

The Extremadura highway, also called the A5, it’s not only one of Madrid’s main access points; but also the backbone of neighbourhoods such as: Batán, Puerta del Ángel, Aluche, Campamento, and Cuatro Vientos. Due to the importance mentioned in the last paragraph, the project for “The New District of Campamento” becomes key for the city. The neighbourhood acquires its name because of military barracks previously located in this district. The urban planning is divided in two phases, the first of which is included in this booklet. Phase 1 consists of the development of a project which will have around 10,000 apartments; 25% of its area devoted toward offices and commerce; and 15% as other flexible facilities or programs.

urban design and landscape Campamento

professors: José María Ezquiaga Gemma Peribañez Valentina Mion team: Vasiliki Anagnostopoulou Juan Cruz Barrionuevo María José Rodríguez de Vera Óscar Maciel

urban design and landscape / Campamento

The project starts recognizing the importance and challenges that the A5 represents. Due to what is mentioned, the team thought in applying a gradient solution, where the tallest buildings with the most rigid program would be facing the A5 (diagram 1). In that way, as the zone continues growing towards its limits, the scale of its buildings will

3. 12

urban design and landscape / Campamento

be decreasing (diagram 2 and 3), leaving the experimental housing blocks in the farthest orbit, as shown in diagram 4. Finally to manage merging all different building types, in every intersection of the A5 with the future avenues, some nodes are planned to be placed so in that way they can be filled with public spaces.

6. 13

urban design and landscape / Campamento

Three types of ways are proposed: large, medium, and small. The one shown on this page responds to the L size way, which will be characterized by avenues built next to the existing A5 highway, in that sense the speed of the vehicles would be decreased. Is in this part of the new development where the most public program is planned to appear.

urban design and landscape / Campamento

Adding to what was said, is in this part where the first housing buildings begin to appear. To make more appealing the idea of inhabiting this new part of Madrid, the M size roads count with a designed from top to bottom sidewalk which would count with several kinds of commerce units, and the former would have along its course lineal parks.

urban design and landscape / Campamento

The most important road in the new development would be the M size way. The latter is because of the diversity of its mix-used program. Taking advantage of that diversity, the road section is designed; including not only the M size avenues but also the bicycle lanes that would connect an important amount of area of all the development.

urban design and landscape / Campamento

Finally, the small size roads are the ones that will merge the entire urban project. Is through the weave of these paths that the experimental housing would be placed, the speed of the vehicles will be reduced, the appearance of pedestrian streets would be multiplied, and the idea of inhabiting an urban park will become true.

urban design and landscape / Campamento

21 urban design and landscape / Campamento

construction and technology / from Finland to Puerto Rico

Based on the Tila Housing block unit in Finland, where concepts such as raw space or DIY construction are the main ideas of the project, the task of this specialty was to develop that same building but with different solutions in an equally distinct context.

construction and technology

from Finland to Puerto Rico

professors: Ignacio Fernández Solla David Rutter Diego García-Setién Archie Campbell team: Simona Vega Vasiliki Anagnostopoulou Juan José Sanchez Aedo Óscar Maciel

construction and technology / from Finland to Puerto Rico

Due to Puerto Ricoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weather, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decided to free the ground floor. In that way, counting with an open floor plan, the entire building will refresh in a more efficient and sustainable way. 24

25 construction and technology / from Finland to Puerto Rico

construction and technology / from Finland to Puerto Rico

The use of precast pieces for making more efficient the construction process is needed due to the socio-economic context of the country. Only the ground floorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s structural arcs are built-in site. The rest of the structural elements are formed by the mix of prefab walls, concrete beams, and joist and vault system.

TRADITIONAL PAINTED LOUVRE SCREEN

construction and technology / from Finland to Puerto Rico

Solar radiation E-W

28 BUFFER

COOLER CLIMATE

POSSIBLE AIR FLOW

VENTILATION ALWAYS OPENED

CROSSED VENTILATION WIND CROSSING COOLING FROM UNDERNEATH

cross ventilation diagram

construction and technology / from Finland to Puerto Rico

BUFFER

construction and technology / from Finland to Puerto Rico

The precast concrete wall pieces come with perimeter hollows where the internal structure made out of steel and concrete pour in-site would provide enough strength to the building. The former would count with the gaps to hold the beams that will carry the prefab vaults to complete in that way the slabs system.

31 construction and technology / from Finland to Puerto Rico

construction and technology / from Finland to Puerto Rico

33 construction and technology / from Finland to Puerto Rico

construction and technology / from Finland to Puerto Rico

35 construction and technology / from Finland to Puerto Rico

low-cost and emergency housing / Bienvenido, Dominican Republic

low-cost and emergency housing

Bienvenido, Dominican Republic

professors: Sonia Molina Lucía Navarro team: Mehdi Gharibi Juan Felipe Quiñones Carlos Ballesteros Óscar Maciel

low-cost and emergency housing / Bienvenido, Dominican Republic

that the most efficient way to approach all of the obstacles explained before, the most important attitude to be taken would be using the in-between spaces or plots that look like part of the neighborhoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leftovers to implement all of the strategies. In that sense using first the space that is already there, then for relocating new families, the land close to Bienvenido neighborhood would be the one where the new housing units would be placed.

Another important issue to be taken into account is that the surrounding area next to where the Haina River flows gets flooded from time to time. That being said, both a new low-cost design for housing units and different urban strategies where designed, to improve the neighborhoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life quality.

The public program is intended to use the area near the river so in that way it will not only serve as public facilities to the inhabitants but also as a buffer for future floodings.

After the analysis, the team concluded

low-cost and emergency housing / Bienvenido, Dominican Republic

Bienvenido neighborhood, which originally was a rural area, is close to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; it lacks not only of proper urban planning but also has a deficient quality of its basic services, such as sewers and trash picking system, energy, public spaces, among others.

low-cost and emergency housing / Bienvenido, Dominican Republic

The strategy decided for improving the existing houses is to endow the latter with a fixed module of a toilet and a kitchen, plus a simple concrete structure for future growth. In that way, the families that already have a house will count on with better equipment and the possibility of staying there even after the household increases.

41 low-cost and emergency housing / Bienvenido, Dominican Republic

low-cost and emergency housing / Bienvenido, Dominican Republic

The main idea in which the new housing units will be planned and developed is based on handling only two fixed concepts or parts of the units: the toilet and kitchen module; and a simple structure made out of concrete. The latter would be prepared to receive new elements in that way the inhabitants, will adapt their home to their needs.

43 low-cost and emergency housing / Bienvenido, Dominican Republic

low-cost and emergency housing / Bienvenido, Dominican Republic

These diagrams show the possible process that every new housing unit would have. The bathroom and kitchen module is going to be the only one fixed in the project.

city sciences / essays

city sciences essays

professor: Alejandro de Miguel essays: (the) Future (of our) Cities Mobility a Living Stream Sustainability - a huge concept Dear Children,

city sciences / essays

(the) Future (of our) Cities

city in its most abstract form can be defined as the place where everything can happen; and if we face endless possibilities somewhere, should be equally fair to assume that everything is needed -everything is expected. But possibilities of what?

city sciences / essays

In ancient Greece probably the Pythoness would appear in someone’s dreams and reveal the future of a city, or its foundation (that’s what mythology thought us). We had learned from our ancestors the importance of order, axes, and trajectory in a city; whether is from North to South, or East to West, but always a direction is needed. So whether its infinite possibilities or organizing the growth or foundation of a city, the latter in its core it’s movement in the rawest definition of it. If from Physics we have been thought that movement and time are two variables of the same formula, we can therefore conclude that a city it’s a space in constant movement changing through time. According to Heidegger the human being it’s the only animal that inhabits because of their awareness about their imminent death; as that being expressed its probably obvious that in every human exists the constant growing need of wanting and needing more, whether its space, opportunities, resources, relationships, or the never-ending pursuit of happiness, but through the sense of rooting, or feeling home. That is what all of these probable nonsense words are trying to express, the constant looking for new opportunities so we can feel safe, feel protected.

Present cities are introduced to us for example as a beautiful antique sculpture, let’s say “The Venus de Milo”. We see it far away as a seductive piece of art, beautiful in every aspect, in every inch of it; but while we get closer we can see its cracks, not made by mistake but by the time passed by. That is what a city is nowadays, a seductive probably idyllic idea of perfection and happiness. Through the last decade, the humankind has been a witness of several tragic events that had forced millions of people to move out of their original places; from wars to diseases (such as our sad actual health crisis), different situations are causing sickness to our cities. The most prudent or accurate strategy that has to be taken by us is not thinking or designing future cities, but fixing our present ones; heal them, we should plan and design the future of our cities rather than wasting time and effort developing new ones. It’s time to amend our past -and sometimes present, mistakes; fix the inequalities between different economic sectors, fix our public transportation, restore our patrimony; rethink our future instead of planning a new one where there is no basis yet.

city sciences / essays

That is what our present cities offer us or at least try to, wrapped up in its public spaces, architecture, historical patrimony, its public transportation, job opportunities, high-quality education centers, cultural spaces, among others; every city in the world tries to offer us all what has been said.

Mobility

city sciences / essays

a l i v i n g s t re a m

city sciences / essays

here are several approaches that Urbanism and Architecture can count on when it comes to better and sustainable planning or development in a city. Whether increasing its public space, manage the waste disposal system, implementing green policies, restoring important architectural patrimony, among an almost infinite list of measures that can achieve several improvements in the quality of life in any city. In this case, let us go deeper as regards mobility, and not only in a green way of analyzing it, but in a humanitarian one. It is commonly perceived when we talk about mobility to assume that the way to improve it remains on its sustainable side, and there is not where the problem stands, but in thinking that a green solution or policy is the only one needed. Is commonly forgotten that there is nothing more sustainable than happiness and well-being. Of course, achieving the latter could be probably not only difficult but merely impossible, unless first, we treat the so-mentioned subject as what it should be; the living stream of a city. If we refer to mobility as a stream we will be able to assimilate it as a constant flow of events, that is to say, to study mobility not only through its physical characteristics e.g. streets, sidewalks, public and private transportation, shared vehicles, or pollution emissions, and so on. Mobility is the constant flow that connects every single person in a city, no matter the way of transportation is always connecting people.

It can be deducted that a common belief about good mobility ergo happy mobility, was related to the speed of movement; to how quickly someone could transport from one place to another; there was conceived the biggest mistake that led cities (most of them) to its actual traffic chaos. First of all, it would be great if fast mobility is no longer synonymous with efficiency, and as a result of a good strategy. A positive way of mobility should be the one that makes the person happy and is impossible to believe that someone could be happy in the middle of traffic, locked in a steel box. After all, if mobility exists regardless of incomes, neighborhoods, first world countries or third world ones, well-developed cities or poorly developed, and so on. Mobility should allow us, whether is sitting on a bus, reading on the subway, walking on the sidewalk, running across a bridge, or driving a car; to be happy, to enjoy our city. The inventionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not needed to find that happiness, the solution is in rethinking and improving what is already there.

city sciences / essays

According to the mentioned, there is where the humanitarian aspect should be noticed and most important, studied and understood, for future planning and designing diverse strategies to foment better mobility. So taking account mainly of the humanitarian aspect, dare to use a new concept, mobility for happiness.

city sciences / essays

Sustainability

a hu ge c o n c e p t

ustainability, six syllables one word; one huge concept.

city sciences / essays

Who is responsible for that concept? Is it just a trend? Is it a must needed obligation governments should be taking care of? Should we be demanding the public or the private sphere to be more concerned about it? We can find uncountable questions regarding that concept and we can search for several actors who should be aware of taking care of the already mentioned. We count on an endless amount of data regarding that subject, from the positive to the negative facts; we have found problems and the solutions to avoid them. So what are we doing right now to find ourselves involved in a so needed sustainable way of living? Is said that half of the world population lives already in cities, and by the next two decades that amount would keep increasing, is inevitable. It is also said, studied, and proved that most of the pollutants emitted come from the cities. Who are the main actors in those cities? Of course, the government is involved, it is impossible to deny the influence of the private sphere; but after all, the main actor related to life in cities are their inhabitants; the citizens of each city around the globe. Day by day awareness as to sustainability increases, probably not at the level and speed that is required, to truly conceive a positive transition to a wholly sustainable way of living. So what can be done? That question has to be and would still be a matter of discussion belonging to different areas concerning human knowledge, from the

From every corner related to the fight against climate change we all know the common enemy, the way things have been done during a terribly amount of time; our way of living, of consuming, and even worst yet, producing. However more important than what was said in the last sentence, we all are aware that we should be in this together, all of us fighting within our trench. Of course, humanity can count on responsible politicians pushing the legislation of green policies, committed activists fighting against irresponsible industries or governments, civil engineers and architects promoting sustainable projects, or perhaps bright and entrepreneur people developing new technologies towards a more sustainable existence. Although we can rely on all of the mentioned above, perhaps much more examples could have been given; the best approach to a sustainable way of living ergo, a deceleration in the almost and sadly inevitable consequences due to the global warming effects; is found in our every day, in our habits or the lack of them. That is to say, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stop waiting for a messianic politician to implement or promote properly green policies, it is time to cease placing our hope in third parties; it would only be us, common human beings, who would stop the climate crisis by only be aware and changing our habits into a sustainable way of living. There is nothing greener than a person willing to be conscious.

city sciences / essays

probably most obvious one like the environmental study to the most feasible to achieve improvements such as the political field.

city sciences / essays

D e ar ch i l dre n ,

ne morning a beautiful being was waking up. Stretching each part of her body, she began opening her eyes; sharpening her sight and each of her senses.

city sciences / essays

That was the first morning after millenniums of had being born where she found herself with no tears running through her cheeks, no swollen eyes out of crying while she slept. Instead of the latter, she woke up with pain. Although that pain was not the one which commonly was the reason for her tears, a pain caused by satiety; she found herself standing up screaming “ENOUGH!”. “Oh, my children! My daughters, my sons. You who breathe and eat due to me. Is my will what is letting you stand on your useless feet, is my compassion what makes me regret each occasion a so-called natural disaster comes to an end. It’s my beating heart named Moon which empowers your oceans. Haven´t all of you already understood? If I live you live; if I die, you do it as well. I am here standing, devoted to you, observing, feeling each of the bruises in my being effected by you. Be aware that was not a complaint, but only expressing what has been done to me and even though you know it quite well, it has been chosen by your kind not paying attention to my harm. I’m breathing, still doing it, and while I do it, I sense my lungs filled with the burned coat, oil, and even wood you have chosen as an energy source. You idiots!

You’ve decided to drain almost all my blood for powering your engines, going from one place to another; aimlessly, which is so common in your unconscious kind. Stop! I’ve said it a countless amount of times; you’ve even fought each other for what is remaining of my blood; brothers, and sisters fighting for that energy source which extraction is killing me. There is an unmeasurable sadness that fills my soul due to your stupid way of electrifying your existence. That sadness has to lead me to concern about the blindness that surrounds your intellect. My children you know my breath is aimed to be used, those tides my beating heart moves can be used as well. The brightness of my eyes can power anything, so much, that even when I sleep you can use what was storage. Why you’ve decided to consume what is difficult for me to create again? Is it hate what you feel for me? Is it all because of your heartbreaking ambition? My children; change the way you use my resources or you are going to finally be doomed. Remember. You need me”.

city sciences / essays

Notwithstanding your insatiable need of powering everything up, from what is truly needed like your so beloved technology which replaced your hands for massing food production, to the completely useless one you fools utilize for your neglected addiction to cheap acquisitions. I gave you two kinds of resources my children; the one which hurts me, and the one I produce by my mere existence.

workshop 01 / City Cohousing

workshop 01

city cohousing

professors: Atxu Amann Andrés Cánovas Nicolás Maruri Gabriel Wajnerman team: Simona Vega Manuel Muñoz Mariam Ghaznavi María José Rodríguez de Vera Óscar Maciel location: Madrid duration: five days

workshop 01 / City Cohousing

Based on the idea of co-living spaces and the new, not only architecture but ways of living, sharing, and co-existing, this workshop pretended to challenge us into designing a new way of inhabiting the city based on the concepts written above.

workshop 01 / City Cohousing

time

scal e

r filte

io ivis

workshop 01 / City Cohousing

portals

spac

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u clos The inhabitants for which this conceptual program or diagram are a woman with OCD, polyamory individuals, a single dad with an autistic child, a cosplayer, and a chef. The main idea of this co-living space is to find the halfway point where all of the users can co-exist.

workshop 01 / City Cohousing

The project will inhabit the area next to Moncloa station close to Ciudad Universitaria in Madrid, Spain.

workshop 01 / City Cohousing

Expansion of the old cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boundary so in that way generating place-making the outdoor collective area. Promoting free movement of people and activities to make smaller areas part of the bigger whole. 71

workshop 01 / City Cohousing

Preserve nature, taking advantage of the topography and existing nature near the plot.

workshop 01 / City Cohousing

Collective and individual spaces coexist in a new system that invades as a parasite the surrounding city.

workshop 01 / City Cohousing

After all, in every city, buildings are not only a witness of every growth but the way of living as well, using as the core idea not only co-living as sharing but co-existing as individuals who stop being that to become a community. 75

workshop 02 / home2share

workshop 02

home2share

professors: Jacob van Rijs Ignacio Borrego team: María José Brito Ignacio Valdez Juan Esteban Duque Malena Ramos Óscar Maciel location: Madrid duration: five days

workshop 02 / home2share

are not in the city. You can retain a minimum unit and expand it when necessary.

Carsharing home2share is just like having your own car house in Madrid. Just grab a car2go home2share. All you need is one app. Find out what it means to be #proudtoshare in Madrid.

Why use home2share in Madrid? From Chamberí to Gran Vía – you’ve never done home rental like this before. Homesharing with home2share is a new way of living in the city without owning a house. No more lack of space. No more extra space that you do not use. No more extra rooms to pay for sporadic use. No more problems of space when guests or family are coming. No more problems when organizing a big dinner or a party at home. Start using home2share in Madrid – all you need is the app. It’s the future, only it’s right now.

What is home2share? home2share is the world’s first home sharing service. Our Real Estate operates without fixed rental procedures. All you need is the app. Grab a home2share anywhere in a home2share location in Madrid and choose the home-elements you need. How big do you want your house to be at any moment of the day or the week? When you’re done, return some or all of the elements back. For a low price per minute that includes everything from renting to cleaning. You can access to a large apartment only when you need it. You do not pay when you

*text is taken from the workshop syllabus, which was inspired by the idea of www.car2go.com

workshop 02 / home2share

Forget car home rental by the day month as you know it.

workshop 02 / home2share

Assuming the whole idea of this new way of inhabiting, the tenants will enjoy the benefits of lowering their monthly rent.

workshop 02 / home2share

the building run by mycloset.com are going to count on with a ten sqm space where their basic needs can be satisfied, extra space as seen in the section showed on page 78 is meant to be not only an ephemeral addition but a shared one too (in most of the occasions).

According to the basic needs of every human being, the team designed a minimum space for being inhabited and expanded by its future user. Planning the latter wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only task, but also a new way of leasing apartments, based on the context wrote on the last page. So the future inhabitants of these new studios would form part of mycloset. com, which is this new way of renting where you would be able to add, rest, or share some extra space with your neighbors. The people living in

workshop 02 / home2share

The space meant to be shared by the inhabitants of the building would be continuously moving in a spiral direction through the external building’s façade in that way, not only momentaneous extensions but randomly placed, are going to be added or subtracted from each person’s cabin. 83

workshop 02 / home2share

85 workshop 02 / home2share

workshop 03 / Superar*

workshop 03

Superar* // overcoming clichés in collective housing design professors: Hrvoje Njiriç Esperanza Campaña team: Melpomeni Katharopoulou Elisa Cecconi Óscar Maciel location: Utopic duration: five days

workshop 03 / Superar*

The workshop is designed to challenge and seek creativity with traditional ideas and concepts in architectural design of collective living spaces. It aims to promote alternative solutions to housing, coming up with affordable and sustainable units with limited size and budget to meet urgent demands in housing market, something not in contradiction with singular, enjoyable and inviting domestic spaces. The challenge is both multidisciplinary and multiscale, a minimal housing unit capable of fulfilling the residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; requirements of comfort, thrift and sustainability.

*text is taken from the workshop syllabus

workshop 03 / Superar*

Speculations on the housing market often result in extremely deep floor plans which demand a lot of skill to deal with. Depths of 20 meters are not rare at all, often worsened by extreme thinness of fewer than six meters (which only adds to the difficulty of the depth). There is also a number of historical plans with such measures. Participants will be asked to find and study such examples and de-

rive ways how to organize them in an appropriate way, making sure there are enough views, light, and ventilation. On the contrary, websites are brimming with extremely thin houses which are not wide enough for two functional zones, one behind the other. The advantages of having cross ventilation and unobstructed views are topped with an extreme facade length and thermal losses.

*text is taken from the workshop syllabus

workshop 03 / Superar*

shallow vs. thick plan

workshop 03 / Superar*

Sometimes we face the task to design a dwelling in a predefined contour. Reasons for this can be quite diversified â&#x20AC;&#x201C; be it an existing structure that has to be converted into dwellings or a complicated geometry of envelope articulated in such a way to meet, for example, urban requirements. But complex and irregular borders doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily mean a shortcoming in spatial and atmospheric quality.

*text is taken from the workshop syllabus

workshop 03 / Superar*

the irregular contours

workshop 03 / Superar*

Open plan has its conceptual and ideological roots in the 20th-century modern movement. Is also found as a radical transformation of industrial legacy, known as a loft. Whatever the lifestyle is, issues of privacy and confinement have to be addressed. On the contrary, a petrified plan with a lot of thick load-bearing walls with a short span is a relic of 19th-century housing stock that needs to convert for the present-day needs. Functional and conceptual interpretations of both extremes demand good architectural skills. *text is taken from the workshop syllabus

workshop 03 / Superar*

the open vs. petrified plan

workshop 03 / Superar*

The workshop’s final task, which almost could look like taken out of a Hejduk’s book, consisted of managing an urban strategy - as accurate as possible, where all of the typologies shown before could coexist. The team founded the development’s main idea using diagonal connections which would no only join in a more probably organic way the inside part of this superblock but also would make easier the cohesion of every single housing type. 97

workshop 04 / Colon Towers

workshop 04

colon towers // Un-locked in the Periphery

professors: Alison Brooks Alejandro de Miguel team: Steven Jacovic Manuel Muñoz Álvaro Pedrayes Óscar Maciel location: Madrid duration: five days

100

workshop 04 / Colon Towers

A public space emerges from the base, encouraging walkability, improving pedestrian circulation, and limiting vehicular circulation. In doing so, conditions of play are superimposed within these degrees of separation the paths we create to respond to the various phases of isolation creating an environment experienced at several levels of exposure and risk. The creation of an E-Sports stadium at the base, visible through the punctures in the landscaping, gives the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inhabitants hope through the conditions of play regardless of times of looming pandemics. The movement of necessary goods within times of isolation are visible through the exterior system that supports this ideal with minimal contact with the public when needed. People at the scale of the city can see this tower and recognize the aid provided and hope that it fosters. 101

workshop 04 / Colon Towers

Post pandemic considerations create the reality in which we need to evolve the way we use our spaces at the scale of the city. Self-quarantine has become the periodic new normality and consideration our cities need to support. Renovation to this iconic building within Madrid, which originally challenged structural norms, now informs a solution toward the way we support each other as a system of connected communities engaged with each other.

102

for intellectuals

for those who have a band

for duplex guys and ladies

for little chefs

workshop 04 / Colon Towers

for stressed people

for common humans

These shared spaces visible in the voids of the building’s exterior, in

conjunction with the flexible programs of exercise facilities, gyms, and dance studio toward the lower levels- create the opportunities to interact, improve one’s self, and learn from one another. A shared workshop at the rooftop creates conditions that foster self-development- paramount toward success in surviving the times of isolation or semi-confinement. Users here enjoy woodworking, explore their creativity in their mediums, and engage with the building at a personal level. The exterior modules are customized for their owners’ needs in these spaces, as they become removed, altered, or repaired when desired. Steel gantries from the roof allow for access to these pods, where other users can see the movement of modules and inspire others- both the inhabitants of the building and the transient users passing by.

103

workshop 04 / Colon Towers

As a system of pre-tensioned suspended slabs is hung from above, the building expands on this idea as various modular pods are locked into those edges. The concrete core allows for this outward expanse, as a tree’s branches create connections stemming from the center of the communicating spaces. The evolving change in the exterior activity responds to the needs of different users, at the scale of the building: shared spaces for co-working, co-teaching, and interaction happens where views open to other iconic areas of Madrid. Users move around the building, no longer confined to the previous “standard” system seen in typical apartments and housing being constructed.

104

workshop 04 / Colon Towers

Ground floor

105 workshop 04 / Colon Towers

106

workshop 04 / Colon Towers

Typical floor plan

107 workshop 04 / Colon Towers

108

workshop 04 / Colon Towers

Rooftop plan (atelier)

109 workshop 04 / Colon Towers

110

workshop 04 / Colon Towers

An inspiring E-Sports competitor opts for the minimal required window space and installed four display monitors at the window to be locked into his training regimen. His living room is used to relax while his training happens at the periphery- allowing him separate functions as flexibly as he desires. Drums are played in one module at the exterior, while other users enjoy the informal concert whilst showering or cooking at the periphery of their apartments. After 10 minutes, another user accompanies these rhythms with vocals. Upgrading a unit with a communicating spiral stair joins the apartments of two neighbors that found friendship and comradery in times of separation now creating two large units. Another two connect because they found love, despite the pandemic. We are no longer confined to our apartments we are un-locked and inspired.

111

workshop 04 / Colon Towers

As we now occupy our spaces with the altered ideas of normality, so can we push various functions to the exterior and reverse this standardization. Instead of being confined to a small apartment during a pandemic with the view of an interior courtyard, possibly without a balcony, we remove this option- as various programmatic functions are pushed to the exterior.

112

workshop 05 / Fontana Mix

workshop 05

fontana mix // An Urban Hybrid Prototype Jenga Housing Building professors: Jaime Coll Judith Leclerc Diego García-Setién team: Melpomeni Katharopoulou María José Rodríguez de Vera Juan Esteban Duque Óscar Maciel location: Barcelona duration: five days

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workshop 05 / Fontana Mix

Gracia neighborhood is characterized by its social mix, in this place different generations, not only of Spanish people, get along. But a problem which is eminent in almost every big city in the world is the lack of land for new developments. Is due to the latter why the plot chose for this workshop is the Fontana metro station, as a statement of using every remain of the city for future housing projects.

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Metro station plan

workshop 05 / Fontana Mix

Years after the economic crisis recovery, the situation of young people has not changed: they still cannot leave their family home to start an adult life. And now, after the covid crisis, the situation could get worse.

Public plaza plan

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Adding to what was said, 60% of young people between 25 and 29 years old have not left their parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; homes. The main cause is an unstable labor market with low incomes, something that

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seems to be perpetuated despite the end of the crisis. And, almost above this circumstance, an impossible real estate market for this sector of the population.

First level plan

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To acquire a flat, young people need to allocate 62.4% of their annual income to the monthly mortgage payment or even more in the case that the property is located in cities such as Madrid, San Sebastiรกn, Valencia, or Barcelona.

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Thus, the purchase of homes for the vast majority of young people is discarded. Although renting doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem like an option either: a young person must allocate 94% of their salary to rent. Thus, the only option seems to share a flat.

Seconf and fourth level plan

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Studies indicate that in this case, the young persons must allocate almost 31% of their salary, something feasible in some Spanish provinces but not

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Third level plan

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in Catalonia where this percentage is almost over 40%. The Catalan housing market is distinguished by high prices, both for rent and for sale, which is unreachable for the majority of young salaried people. A young salaried person in Catalonia should dedicate 120% of their salary to pay the rent, compared to the 76% that would mean paying the mortgage payment, in both cases proportions being well above the recommended threshold of 30%.

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Fifth level plan

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According to all this previous analysis, we have decided to propose a mixeduse building that contains a feasible solution for young people and at the same time facilities that will be used as public spaces not only for the neighborhood but for the city to allow the exchange between them and the surrounding area. The solutions that we plan for the younger population are shared apartments and rental rooms for temporary use.

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In this way we allow them to spend less money and to have the opportunity to live in a better location for less. Also, we incorporate the factor time on the equation. Related to this, we have to say that our building has the quality of growing during the years. As we want to give the user the power to change their home if they need more space. In this way our building would always be in constant changing voids and infills as the city around it is also changing.

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Finally, we propose to have a social mix inside the building, as we believe that this social mixture (different ages, not only young people, and with different incomes) has a stabilizing effect on the urban system since it supposes a balance between the different actors of the neighborhood.

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*the previous analysis it is based on different newspaper articles

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