Joaquin’s factory, student housing

The 3rd industrial revolution requires, like the first one did at its time, a specific type of housing, one that is more flexible. The aim of this project was to build a residence for high-profile working students that would improve the expats’ experience during their stay in Barcelona while preserving the industrial character and charm of the surroundings. In more concrete terms, its location in Poble Nou had to conjure up the old factories in the area and recover the old artisanal design in the façade details by changing the layout of the most widely used construction material in the 20th century: bricks.

The corner where the short façade meets the slope of a passageway measuring 50m long and which barely offers enough perspective to be seen as a whole, required special attention. Corners are key elements in the urban and architectural history of Barcelona. That is why the project placed special emphasis on this feature which joins façades of different heights, different lengths, as well as tradition with modernity.

As such, good decisions from the past became the building’s hallmark. While the external façade exudes a bold, friendly, and thrilling character where empty spaces are seamless connections between users and the city, the interior is more subtle and preserves the analogue feel of industrial material with softer shapes and balconies to protect the building from heat. This living façade creates a second skin and can be personalised by each user to their liking.