Netherlands-based firm Mecanoo Architecten has begun construction on an innovative green public housing project in Málaga, Spain. Specifically set on the outskirts of Málaga – in Universidad -, one of the project’s key components is sustainability. This development is comprised of 170 residences – and designed with cutting-edge solar paneling to minimize energy usage, and additionally, has alternating heights of stories which allows for natural ventilation and national light to penetrate interior spaces.
Taking its cue from the “language of the patios” that are strongly rooted in the Mediterranean culture, Mecanoo’s housing plan fits in perfectly with the spirit of Málaga. The project has seven different types of housing plans, including duplex residences to homes designed for disabled individuals. The dwellings themselves are built around eight patios – four smaller, intimate and personal ones and four large, interconnecting, communal spaces. Every apartment connects to both the larger and smaller patio areas, so each resident has both public and private spaces.
The materials used in designing the housing complex is integral in its sustainability. As expected for a dwelling located in the south of Spain, architects employed local materials, such as olive colored tiles in the patio areas, and stucco was used to accent window frames in the main patio space and as cladding on the smaller patio space. In addition to using local materials – which serves the socio-economic conditions of Málaga well – the architects also reduced the number of communication cores found in each house, which provides economic and energy efficiency.
No stranger to collective housing, Mecanoo Architecten hits a home run with this project, mainly by always thinking about the point of views of the end-users (i.e. prospective residents), and in creating an environment specifically designed to simulate their senses. Promoting innovative services and the idea of creating a new and modern neighborhood, this project is due to be completed later this year.