Sant Joan Despí housing complex

An exceptional location

The plots 4a.1 and 4a.2 of the Pla del Vent in Sant Joan Despí present the following remarkable characteristics:
– an exceptional situation at the territorial level
– a unique situation at the local level
– a volume with a great height which is not usual in the metropolitan landscape of Barcelona
Due to its proximity to the Barça Sports City and the future New Mini Estadi, these plots are easily located within the vast metropolitan area.
Its proximity to the AP-7 motorway, one of the main access arteries to Barcelona, and the unique height that the built volumes allowed on these plots, contribute to the high visibility of the project at a territorial level.
At the local level, plots 4a.1 and 4a.2 are located at the crossroad of Camí del Mig and Onze de Setembre Avenue, the main access road to the neighborhood and the Sports City.
The Camí del Mig will soon become a green pedestrian path that will connect the Pla del Vent neighborhood with the historic center of Sant Joan Despí. The path will end in the newly created park that is located just south of these plots. Next to the park, the old farmhouse of Can Codina will house public services. Plots 4a.1 and 4a.2 face the Avenue and the new park.

A residential complex in continuity with the new urban park

The project that we present proposes to highlight and intensify the exceptional characteristics of the site. We propose:
– the formation of a housing crown around a central community space that has visual continuity with the new park. Thus, the arrangement exploits the coincidence of the good orientation and views in a southeasterly direction, creating a residential space with a high environmental quality around which the maximum number of housing units are arranged.
– The situation of the tallest volumes facing the access Avenue to the Pla del Vent neighborhood and the Sports City characterizes the presence of the housing complex and protects the community space.
– The definition of clear, clean, well-defined volumes of pleasant and eloquent proportions. Able to respond adequately to each situation: the softest facades, with terraces, are grouped around the community space in contact with the park, the most tectonic facades, with fewer terraces, with more sculptural capacity, define the highest corners and urban alignments.
– The creation of 3 unique compositions in the upper parts of the southeast facades which allow to clearly identify and distinguish the complex from a distance: three large openings, enclosing double-height duplex terraces, occupy the upper parts of the three most prominent corners of the promotion.
– The arrangement of large terraces in all the floors and housing units. The open terraces do not compute as buildable surface area and generously endow each unit with its own outdoor space that significantly improves the quality of the homes: they expand the perception of space, increase the possibilities of use, favor a better environmental control, …

A pool and community space with views

The landscaped community space located above the ground floor, around 4.5m above the level of the park, is the organizing center around which the housing units are arrangement. In this way one can enjoy the views over the park and the distant views of the Sierra del Garraf, while at the same time enjoying a high level of privacy and security, as it is separated from the street level.

The installation of an outdoor swimming pool with solarium and garden areas is proposed in this space. The rooms that surround the pool are for the use of the community: gym, games room, … which we consider complementary to the residential use. The access to the pool area directly from specific housing units is expressly avoided to give greater autonomy and comfort of use to this space and also to the dwellings.

For a greater number of dwellings to enjoy the quality offered by this central space in contact with the park, we have been particularly concerned about its proportion: the facade in contact with the park is wider than its depth, maximizing the opening of views, improving the exposure to the sun and the visual continuity of the landscaped community space of the pool and the vegetation of the park.