Urban Revitalization of the Old City Quarter of San Andres, Jaen, Spain

The purpose of the competition is the design and commission of government rent stabilized housing for young people, and the elderly, a municipal cultural center with an underground parking lot, and an urban park; all totaling 8,000m2. 

The proposal then proposes a strategy of completing, more than filling the existing city fabric following a series of rules: Maximization of frontage to exploit light and natural ventilation; Attachment to existing party-walls to avoid fragmentation and take advantage of their thermal mass; The use of a maximum depth of 9 meters for the residential units, as opposed to the characteristic 12 meters, to also encourage light penetration, and natural ventilation; The consolidation of a single continuous public park space, increasing a consolidation in plan of the public areas, and minimizing the fragmentation characteristic of having a solution with many patios; In as much as it is viable, the proposal encourages the interaction between vegetation and the residential units. 

The resulting public space of the park becomes a connector of green space, people, and views. A façade of wicker brings one a step closer to an artificial nature, strengthening the relationship between both. The residential texture now lies behind that of the wicker, as a basket in the forest, or a forest of baskets... 

Team: Invited Competition Daniel Lopez-Perez with Nerea Calvillo.