27 APARTMENTS FOR ART STUDENTS
Design Studio Projects X - Tutor: Carles Muro - ETSAB
Design Studio Projects X - Tutor: Carles Muro - ETSAB
This was a project made in Design Studio Projects X, in the Architecture School of Barcelona (ETSAB).
The aim was to build dwellings for art students on a square called "Plaça Gardunya" next to "La Boqueria" market and the art school "Escola Massana" at the west side of "Las Ramblas".
We began working in groups of three to analyse the area. We were made aware of the urban complexity of the center of Barcelona. The streets are very different from each other and are not at all straight. The multitude of squares are of various sizes, that cause the streets to be wider then narrower which creates a kind of rhythm.
After the initial analysis, each member of the group chose an area of the project to specialise in. We had to design a new art school, new appartments for the students, and state subsidized housing. I chose the area in the middle of the square and the student’s accomodation.
At that time, the Gardunya Square was used as a car park and as a loading bay for the market. There was not an urban connection between the square and the market. The first thing I designed was a ramp to move the car park and the loading bay from the ground floor underground, in order to create public space next to the market.
Secondly,I wanted to extend the time that the market was used. La Boqueria is a very interesting market which dates from the 18th Century. I wanted to design a multi-functional market by extending its opening hours beyond 9am-8pm. I took advantage of the space between the roof and the grocery stores and designed a wooden pedestrian walkway connecting the student’s dwellings to a the small tower offices of the market, a restaurant and a pub located above the market. This created a fresh perspective on the market by encouraging new public connections through it.
With the students buiding, the idea was to create common spaces, like a bar, an internet place, a laundry and a multi-purpose room, on the same level as the wooden walkway. A solarium, a swimming pool and a garden were designed for the roof space. These spaces were intended to enhance the relationship between neighbours, as well as being enjoyed by the students.
On the north side of the building each appartment had a high ceiling to enable the students to use this extra space as a study. On the south side of the building there is access to the flats via the walkway. The walkway increases in size at the entrance to the apartments creating a private terrace. This could be used as a space for a barbecue, a clothes drying area or as bicycle storage. This is an interesting space because it is outside but belongs to the apartment, private yet visible to the public area.
A building for students has to be very flexible. It’s residents are in constant flux, so the accomodation has to allow for these changes. Instead of solid walls in between the rooms of the same flat, I designed mobile furniture to maximize the flexibility of the flat.
There are several different apartments and in some cases it is possible to join them together to create a larger appartment. There are simplex apartments that are wheelchair accessible, duplex apartments and triplex apartments that have private access to the roof.
The building was designed with a steel skeleton, a curtain wall on the north side and metal panels for the opaque areas of the facade.
The aim was to build dwellings for art students on a square called "Plaça Gardunya" next to "La Boqueria" market and the art school "Escola Massana" at the west side of "Las Ramblas".
We began working in groups of three to analyse the area. We were made aware of the urban complexity of the center of Barcelona. The streets are very different from each other and are not at all straight. The multitude of squares are of various sizes, that cause the streets to be wider then narrower which creates a kind of rhythm.
After the initial analysis, each member of the group chose an area of the project to specialise in. We had to design a new art school, new appartments for the students, and state subsidized housing. I chose the area in the middle of the square and the student’s accomodation.
At that time, the Gardunya Square was used as a car park and as a loading bay for the market. There was not an urban connection between the square and the market. The first thing I designed was a ramp to move the car park and the loading bay from the ground floor underground, in order to create public space next to the market.
Secondly,I wanted to extend the time that the market was used. La Boqueria is a very interesting market which dates from the 18th Century. I wanted to design a multi-functional market by extending its opening hours beyond 9am-8pm. I took advantage of the space between the roof and the grocery stores and designed a wooden pedestrian walkway connecting the student’s dwellings to a the small tower offices of the market, a restaurant and a pub located above the market. This created a fresh perspective on the market by encouraging new public connections through it.
With the students buiding, the idea was to create common spaces, like a bar, an internet place, a laundry and a multi-purpose room, on the same level as the wooden walkway. A solarium, a swimming pool and a garden were designed for the roof space. These spaces were intended to enhance the relationship between neighbours, as well as being enjoyed by the students.
On the north side of the building each appartment had a high ceiling to enable the students to use this extra space as a study. On the south side of the building there is access to the flats via the walkway. The walkway increases in size at the entrance to the apartments creating a private terrace. This could be used as a space for a barbecue, a clothes drying area or as bicycle storage. This is an interesting space because it is outside but belongs to the apartment, private yet visible to the public area.
A building for students has to be very flexible. It’s residents are in constant flux, so the accomodation has to allow for these changes. Instead of solid walls in between the rooms of the same flat, I designed mobile furniture to maximize the flexibility of the flat.
There are several different apartments and in some cases it is possible to join them together to create a larger appartment. There are simplex apartments that are wheelchair accessible, duplex apartments and triplex apartments that have private access to the roof.
The building was designed with a steel skeleton, a curtain wall on the north side and metal panels for the opaque areas of the facade.
