24 adaptable homes
Architects
Sol89. María González & Juanjo López de la Cruz
Collaborators
Miguel Rabán & Jongjin Lee
Client
VIMCORSA Viviendas Municipales de Córdoba

Vital Adaptability of the Type. Time in the House.
If we assume that family structures change over the period of occupancy of a home (single person living and working at home – couple – couple with one child – couple with two children – single again – couple with an emancipated child…), we would conclude that a flexible, adaptable house to changing circumstances is desirable. Such a home should allow adjustments to an inevitably evolving program that the conventional living room and three bedrooms do not always respond well to. By adaptability, we do not mean an instant movable layout—something that seems complicated and uncomfortable for daily chores—but rather the possibility for the home to change over the years, just as the lives of its inhabitants change. We aspire for the inevitable dimensional limitations of social housing to be compensated by greater adaptability, enabling the home to exist tailored to its residents, to change as they do, and to acknowledge that time also shapes and determines life and architecture.
Recognizing the variable condition of human habitat is nothing new; we could list common configurations that change throughout different stages of our lives. It’s easy to imagine pre- and post-relationship stages with two or three children, which seem to be the intended norm for housing, requiring different needs. It’s not logical to ignore these situations with a single spatial configuration for the home. From a single individual or couple without children who might prefer a larger living area at the expense of a bedroom, to the possibility of linking a third bedroom to the living room as a workspace, to the typical couple with two children, and later stages where a child leaves home, reducing the number of bedrooms; or even older couples needing space for stored belongings or a guest bedroom for grandchildren. Intermediate or temporary situations, like a single person preferring an open space or a group sharing a larger work area, are also part of this spectrum. All these scenarios are part of the changing nature of life, and a contemporary home—even within social housing limitations—should be able to accommodate them to avoid obsolescence over time.