The residential building El Caracol, constructed by the Sorigué Building team in Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, has been selected as a finalist in the European Union Mies van der Rohe Contemporary Architecture Awards and in the XV Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism “Panorama of Works” selection process. The proposal, presented as "an optimistic expression of the coliving ideal", combines social housing with free market real estate under the same structural criteria and with an emphasis socialisation spaces. The architectural design is the responsibility of Estudio Herreros y MIM-A, and was commissioned by the Metropolitan Institute of Land Development and Property Management (IMPSOL) of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area.  
 
Situated in a privileged location that gives it easy access to the historic centre of Sant Boi de Llobregat, it was delivered in 2019 and awarded at the 2020 FAD Awards for Architecture and Interior Design, which highlighted its ability to generate community spaces by incorporating courtyards and alcoves.  
 
Cross ventilation and socialisation spaces 
 
Composed of 79 dwellings distributed over seven floors, ground floors with two commercial premises and three basement floors for parking, the construction gives priority to neighbourhood interaction with a staircase acting as the backbone of a single central core. The patio layout features wide galleries as meeting and socialising points, with the lifts and technical facilities in a single entrance hall on the ground floor.  
 
The generous collective and individual terraces allow for cross ventilation, as well as diagonal views from different angles to favour the direct relationship between the patio and its surroundings. As for the interior design of the dwellings, the bedrooms face the exterior facades while the entrances, kitchens and bathrooms face the shared corridors.

 

The pragmatic geometry of the external facades is marked by industrial panels with rear ventilation. As for the interior facades, a homely atmosphere prevails with latticework, tiling and ceramic paving that goes back a long way in Catalonia.
 
Finally, the A energy certification obtained by the project includes aerothermal systems for the air conditioning of the dwellings, low-temperature radiators and photovoltaic panels on the roof of the building to power the lights in the common areas. In this aspect, the intentional use of construction systems with cross ventilation and the use of natural light to integrate the climatic conditions of the surroundings into the works is also relevant.  
 
International recognition 
 
Under the slogan "Empty Spain, Full Spain. Conciliation strategies", the 15th Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism (BEAU) will exhibit the 20 winning works at the Barcelona Pavilion between 28 June and 16 September 2021 and at the Patio Herreriano Museum in Valladolid between 2 July and 23 September. The judges highlight the close link to the environment and the contribution to the social and cultural context of the 70 finalist projects. 
 
In parallel, the Mies van der Rohe Foundation and the European Commission have chosen 449 works for the Mies van der Rohe Award, including this project, which will be unveiled in April 2022. The selection favoured projects that connect with current environmental challenges and make cities more sustainable and resilient spaces.  

Photograph: José Hevia