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Architects: Carles Enrich Studio
- Area: 832 m²
- Year: 2024
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Photographs:Adrià Goula
Text description provided by the architects. The project is located on a narrow and small plot, previously occupied by a marés stone quarry, at the intersection of Rut Street and Darwin Street, in the neighborhood of El Coll d'en Rabassa, right at the boundary of Palma municipality. Aiming to complete the irregular urban fabric and respond to the climate emergency, the proposal suggests the construction of eleven homes that integrate into the site, adapting to the pre-existing conditions.
The decision to separate the building from the party wall and preserve the existing geological remnants defines a dual strategy in the project's form factor: on one hand, the exterior facades present a compact and regular volume oriented towards the southeast, while the interior facade is set back, avoiding the maximum allowed occupancy. This volumetric configuration enhances the building's passive performance by generating shadows and variable surface courtyards that offer multiple outdoor spaces associated with the homes.
The ground floor homes feature patios with permeable paving, while the first-floor homes have terraces. The residential units are designed under a non-hierarchical spatial concept, eliminating circulation areas and maximizing usable space. Three basic typologies (one, two, and three bedrooms) have been defined, with different variations that allow adaptation to the pre-existing conditions. The homes are configured as variations of a non-hierarchical housing system that eliminates circulation spaces while maximizing usable area.
The project includes three base typologies (one, two, and three bedrooms) with various adaptations to fit the pre-existing conditions. It emphasizes versatility and convertibility, allowing most spaces to have interchangeable uses, except for the kitchens, which are located next to the bathrooms to minimize the length of installations.
Adaptation to climate change. The homes are designed to adapt to climate change through passive strategies typical of vernacular architecture. Cross ventilation is ensured in all rooms through openings in opposite facades and skylights in the stairwells that act as solar collectors and thermal dissipaters. The volumetric setback on the western facade helps shade the homes in their least favorable orientation.
The draining gardens on the ground floor and the use of native low-water-demand vegetation allow for a reduction in ambient temperature. Rainwater is collected in a storage tank for reuse in irrigation.
The arrangement of openings and the reduced depth of the interior spaces significantly decrease the need for artificial lighting and optimize solar gain management throughout the year. The facade is finished with a lime render (jabelga) that guarantees waterproofing and seals the joints. Its white color, along with the protruding elements of the facade, minimizes overheating of the envelope.
Finally, an underground gallery runs through the central part of the building, facilitating the maintenance of installations and functioning as a passive cooling system that provides tempered air to the homes. This set of strategies reduces the energy demand of the building and eliminates the need for artificial air conditioning systems, except for ceiling fans that reinforce natural convection.
Constructive economy. The project proposes standardization of constructive solutions and dimensions to facilitate construction through the prefabrication of some elements, such as wooden slabs. The selection of materials is based on criteria of proximity, durability, economic efficiency, and low environmental impact.
The structure consists of load-bearing walls made of Mallorcan ceramic blocks (H20), forming a grid of equal spaces of 10 m² and technical modules that house the staircases, bathrooms, and solar chimneys. The masonry incorporates vertical perforations filled with earth from the excavation to improve thermal inertia and acoustic insulation between party walls.
The prefabricated slabs rest on a laminated wood perimeter beam, which resolves the lintels of the interior openings and facades, allowing for dry disassembly and future recycling of all horizontal partitions. A 5 cm compression layer and a polished concrete floor complete the slabs, ensuring acoustic insulation between floors.
Each home has direct access from the street, transforming the building into a series of attached homes, eliminating the need for elevators and promoting an efficient and sustainable housing model.
