Radical Social Housing Project in Barcelona Wins the 2024 RIBA International Prize
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) awarded its 2024 International Prize to Modulus Matrix, an 85-unit social housing development in Cornellà, near Barcelona. Designed by Peris + Toral Arquitectes, the six-story timber-framed building is a notable example of innovative social housing design. Its modular structure, based on a 3.6m x 3.6m grid inspired by traditional Japanese homes, creates a flexible and adaptable living space. The design prioritizes cross-ventilation, dual orientation, and a central communal courtyard, fostering social interaction and community building.
The building’s modularity allows for various apartment configurations, catering to diverse family structures and evolving needs. The design intentionally challenges conventional layouts, placing kitchens centrally and eschewing a hierarchy between living, eating, and sleeping areas. Inspired by architect Marta Peris’s research into the films of Japanese director Yasujirō Ozu, the project embodies a careful consideration of intergenerational dynamics. This approach creates what the architects term a “democratic house,” promoting fluidity and interaction within each dwelling.
The use of mass timber construction contributes to low CO₂ emissions, and the modular system shortens construction time, making it a potentially scalable model for addressing housing shortages. Modulus Matrix’s design features carefully considered details, including acoustic solutions and Barcelona shutters for privacy and shading.
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The project’s success in creating a comfortable and adaptable living environment is highlighted by positive feedback from residents who initially expressed reservations about the unconventional layout but later embraced its flexibility and functionality. The project’s success is also rooted in its collaboration with IMPSOL (the Metropolitan Institute of Land Development and Property Management), a public body that provides land for socially innovative housing projects, demonstrating a successful public-private partnership model.
Peris + Toral Arquitectes’ inspiring housing project in Spain embodies the kind of transformational spirit that is both aspirational and demonstrates genuine change. By embracing flexibility and longevity through long life, loose-fit architecture, it is a radical approach to social housing that creates a place designed for people to adapt and inhabit in the long term. This visionary scheme allows for new and future ideas of what constitutes a family and should be seen as a blueprint for delivering sustainable, quality housing around the world at scale. It is a strong example of the ways in which architects can create new and implementable solutions to the common challenge of creating housing for all. – RIBA President Muyiwa Oki
The RIBA International Prize jury praised Modulus Matrix for its visionary approach to social housing, its adaptability to changing societal needs, and its sustainability. The project’s success serves as a significant example of how architectural design can create not only efficient and sustainable housing but also foster community and enhance the lives of its residents. The RIBA International Prize Grand Jury was chaired by Lu Wenyu, Co-founder of Amateur Architecture Studio, with Tosin Oshinowo, Founder and Principal of Oshinowo Studio and Curator of the Sharjah Architecture Triennial 2023, and Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator, Department of Architecture and Design, and Director, Research and Development, The Museum of Modern Art.
The shortlist for the RIBA International Prize 2024 comprised of:
Concurrently with the International Prize, the RIBA also presented the International Emerging Architect Award 2024 to ARCity for their “Six Bricolage Houses” project in Shenzhen, China. This award recognizes architects with ten years or less of experience who demonstrate significant contributions to the field. ARCity’s project, located in Nantou Ancient City, showcases a pioneering approach to urban renewal through the creation of six self-built homes. The design integrates sensitively with the existing historic fabric, blending modern construction with the informal character of the urban village.
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