In the reconstruction of the old urban area,

in order to enable those residents who are forced to

move out of their houses to temporarily settle in the same block,

 the Barcelona City Council launched a temporary juxtaposed residence project,

which is the first building designed and built. Its shape is its biggest feature.

The facade of the building is covered with

a layer of translucent corrugated polycarbonate board.

During the day, this bright and clear shell increases

the brightness of the room and subtly reflects the surrounding scenery;

At night, this layer of shell filters out the indoor light,

which improves the street lighting while protecting the privacy of residents.

 The main building material of this apartment is the reconstructed containers.

Thanks to the use of these recycled containers,

the modular building volume greatly reduces the ecological footprint they generate.

On the one hand, the use of containers avoids the energy waste

and greenhouse gas emissions caused by the large-scale use of

 steel castings in reinforced concrete or metal structures;

On the other hand, containers can be dismantled,

moved at will, transported easily and adapted to the use characteristics of other places,

so as to reduce energy consumption and waste generation in the demolition process.

This temporary juxtaposed residence in the Gothic district

occupies a cramped corner space between the two shared walls,

and its predecessor was only an extension area adjacent to the public space.

The first floor accommodates the expansion and addition of a nearby health facility,

and the second to fifth floors accommodate twelve separate dwellings,

eight of which are one bedroom and the remaining four are two bedroom.

The northwest facade of the building faces a courtyard,

which is connected with the vertical transportation hub of the house.

The southeast side of the building faces a narrow street.

The external facade is equipped with vertical wooden balcony floor window frames,

Alicante style wooden shutter curtains and metal railings.

These elements coordinate with the adjacent buildings with a long history,

making the building integrated into the surrounding environment full of history.

All dwellings are connected with at least two external walls to ensure convective ventilation.

The southwest side of the building faces a square.

 The four two bedroom residences have larger windows on the outer wall on this side,

making the indoor space more spacious and bright.

The decoration in the house is simple. The ceiling,

wall and ground have been treated with heat and sound insulation,

creating a more livable environment.

Some hardware facilities have been preset in the factory.

Pictures courtesy of  Adrià Goula