Renovation of the housing block

Description

The renovation of a housing block in a working-class neighbourhood of Martutene, in Donostia: usable floor area has been gained, terraces added, the whole envelope and the interior layouts renewed, and the roof turned into a garden.

This is work for the Proyectos IV course (February 2024), done on my own. The aim is to renovate a housing block in a working-class neighbourhood of Martutene, giving it a new residential quality without demolishing it.

The renovation has three strands. First, usable floor area has been added to the building and terraces opened up. Second, the whole envelope and the interior layouts of the homes have been renewed. Finally, vegetation has been planted on the roof to make it a pleasant place to spend time.

The result is a block with two faces: one façade open with terraces, the other covered by a screen of vertical slats.

Project decisions

01
Renovate, don't demolish
The block in a working-class neighbourhood stays where it is. The starting point is what already exists, which is given a new residential quality.
02
More usable area
Usable floor area has been added to the building so that the homes have more space.
03
Terraces
Terraces have been added: an extra space that opens the homes to the outside and gives the façade a new rhythm.
04
A new envelope
All the envelopes have been renewed. One façade carries the terraces; the other a screen of vertical slats that gives the building a new image and texture.
05
New interior layout
The whole interior layout of the homes has been reorganised. A floor-plan module (worked at 1:50) is repeated along the block; the stair cores take the lift.
06
The roof as a garden
Vegetation has been placed on the roof to make it a pleasant place to be: a garden on top of the block.