Co-Living Madrid

The design is based on maximizing the possibilities and opportunities of the parcel combined with an innovative Co-Living concept. The project forms the potential home of a community that lives in the city, with the city. Due to the different types of public program, squares, public accessibility and housing types, the project accommodates a very wide diversity, equal to the city. By using wood as the main building material in combination with several sustainable techniques for energy supply, the plan shows an example of future sustainable urban development. On a local scale the plan accommodates in the transition from industrial city to a human scale and warm living environment.

Functions and orientation
The urban layout provides for a publicly accessible square at the front and a more closed inner courtyard with only housing at the back. All functions are positioned in such a way that an optimal relationship is established with the surrounding space. In order to attract people and to activate the public space, the front of the street and the public square on the ground floor level are completely enclosed with public functions. The shared roof terrace is situated along the square, making it visually part of the public space, but is only accessible to residents.

Routing and connections
The parcel has three entrances: on the left the entrance and exit to the parking garage for cars, in the centre a wide entrance for pedestrians and cyclists and on the right an expedition street for suppliers and waste collection services. Through this street it is also possible to reach the back of the parcel for emergencies. Three vertical cores provide access to the houses and workplaces. A small bridge on the 2nd floor and an internal connection gives the residents access to the communal areas and the roof terrace. Around the courtyard, the houses are accessed by an extra wide wooden gallery. In order to stimulate social interaction, each house has a small seating area with a small bench as part of the facade.

Architectural language
The buildings have a wide variety of functions, from housing and co-working to shared functions and shops. Each function has its own characteristics when it comes to facade applications and accessibility. In order to create coherence in the architectural language for the entire area, the facades are based on a strong grid. The grid is a direct translation of the structure, both in wood (walls) and concrete (columns). The grid also directly translates the houses into the facade: one square is one house. To strengthen this concept even further the sunblinds are closed or opened per square.