Social Housing in a Brasil
Architects
Sol89. María González and Juanjo López de la Cruz and Acta. Javier López and Ramón Pico
Technical Architects
Joaquín Gutiérrez and Manuel González
Client
TUASA
Construction Company
Freyssinet S.A.
Photography
Silva and Fernando Alda
Located where the Franciscan Friars’ Convent once stood, founded in 1527 and now only the Church of San Francisco remains, the Brasil de los Pérez was built in 1913 to house workers from the salting and canning industries. The term “Brasil” is a local nickname referring to a typology organized around a large central courtyard, similar to a neighborhood corral. The project aims to revive community life around the courtyard, restoring the vibrant social atmosphere the building had before falling into ruin. To achieve this, 17 social housing units are organized with their daytime spaces surrounding the central void. The furniture-like boxes that form the kitchen countertops extend through the interior façade, reminiscent of the cabinets that once existed in the galleries, which served as kitchens and bathrooms for the homes. This creates a ring of amenities around the courtyard, providing double access to the houses. We envision the galleries that run around the courtyard not just as passageways to access the homes, but as small social areas for residents to gather and interact. These galleries are wider than in the original building and are differentiated from the access areas by a series of pillars, creating a spatial hierarchy—from the most private, located paradoxically on the building’s exterior façade, to the most public, associated with the lively, cheerful central courtyard.
