Living beyond the regulations

This event will present two publications that, from different perspectives, address the same question: how can we design housing that responds to people’s real lives?

HabitaTU. Guide to Crossing the Limits of Regulations, promoted by the Eraikal program of the Basque Government’s Department of Housing and Urban Agenda and developed by Matxalen Acasuso Atutxa, Eleonora Barone, Carlota Cazalla Llantada, Paz Martín Rodríguez, and Nagore Uresandi Espinosa, is a dual-purpose tool: on the one hand, it precisely compiles the quantitative requirements that regulations establish for habitable spaces; on the other, it qualitatively points toward how design should evolve to achieve an inclusive, flexible habitat adapted to all life cycles.

Housing in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. IMPSOL 2015–2024, a publication by the Metropolitan Institute of Land and Property Management (IMPSOL) of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, edited by Marta Poch, winner of the 17th BEAU Award, brings together 26 projects and 5 essays documenting a decade of public housing in which bioclimatic strategies, more flexible typologies, and domestic spaces designed for different forms of cohabitation have been consolidated.

The presentations will serve as the starting point for an open debate exploring the real scope for innovation today within —and beyond— regulatory frameworks.

Program:

7:00 PM WELCOME

• Jose Ángel Medina, Director of  The Basque Architecture Institute

7:05 PM PRESENTATION OF TWO PUBLICATIONS

Two works that inspire the design process of
contemporary residential spaces:

• Housing in the Barcelona metropolitan area. IMPSOL 2015-2024. MARTA POCH
  habitaTU.
• A guide to pushing the boundaries of regulations. MATXALEN ACASUSO

7:20 PM ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
A roundtable to discuss the concept of living:

• Pablo García Astrain. Director of Housing, Land, and Architecture for the Basque Government
• Josep María Borrel. Managing Director of IMPSOL
• Claudi Aguiló. Architect at DATAAE
• Itziar Ruiz Zanguitu. Architect at Atelier80
• Irati Mogollón. Bachelor’s and Ph.D. in Sociology.

8:05 SPACE FOR COLLECTIVE REFLECTION

8:20 PM CONCLUSIONS AND CLOSING OF THE CONFERENCE

Information about the publications:

HOUSING IN THE BARCELONA METROPOLITAN AREA
Housing in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. IMPSOL 2015–2024. An award-winning monograph at the 17th Spanish Architecture and Urbanism Biennial, in the outreach category, which reflects on new ways of living through the social housing projects promoted by IMPSOL between 2015 and 2024. These projects have brought about a radical change from previous models, thanks to the new criteria achieved: architectural quality, energy efficiency, typological innovation, and inclusivity.

Over the past 10 years, there has been a significant shift in the social housing proposals promoted by IMPSOL in the Barcelona metropolitan area. This is the result of the institution’s ongoing reflection since 2015, the competition model implemented, and the architectural innovation that, in this field, had not been seen in the last half-century. To reflect on these changes and how to address the future of housing from the perspective of the climate and housing crises, the event will conclude with a roundtable discussion moderated by architect and architecture critic Inmaculada Maluenda, featuring architects Marc Folch and Aixà del Rey, whose housing projects are featured in the book; and Josep Maria Borrell, director of IMPSOL.

The Metropolitan Institute for Land Development and Asset Management (IMPSOL) promotes affordable, innovative, high-quality public housing that meets gender-specific requirements. Since its inception, the institution has completed more than 7,000 housing units, a body of work that has been widely published and recognized with national and international awards such as the FAD, CSCAE, BEAU, BIAU, and RIBA. To carry out this work, it promotes architectural competitions with the aim of achieving the highest architectural quality in the proposals by attracting the best professional talent and fosters close collaboration with the design teams throughout the development process.

habitaTU

habitaTU is a publication, a project, and a tool that invites reflection on the design of spaces intended for living. It encompasses all places designed for habitation, from homes to residences for the elderly or young people, public housing, and hotels. Its goal is to encourage the evolution of these spaces, recognizing
the need to create environments capable of responding to the life circumstances of each person—both those we know today and those that may arise in the future. It promotes a sensitive, innovative, exploratory, and adaptable approach.

habitaTU breaks away from the segmentation of analysis by typology. The guide proposes blurring the boundaries between different types of accommodation—homes, hotels, or residences—so that the best features of each can influence the others and provide a more appropriate response to the life changes people experience.

Although it is primarily based on Basque Country Decree 80/2022 on habitability and its context—placing human activities at the center of architectural design, such as cooking, personal hygiene, or working— the proposal goes beyond this framework, incorporating all regulations affecting the design of residential spaces both within and outside the Basque Country, as well as the discussions from three focus groups convened for this purpose, and establishes a useful mechanism for the decision-making process based on three pillars: universal accessibility, dignity in daily life, and the balance between participation and privacy.

The approach it proposes links livability to sustainability and the circular economy by advocating for a concept of space capable of transforming and adapting to the different stages of the life cycle and to unforeseen circumstances. habitaTU seeks to ensure that spaces are not limited to meeting minimum requirements, but rather reach their full potential, both on an individual and community level. It enables the incorporation into current regulations of a vision of a society that is age-friendly for all ages and promotes more accessible buildings, whether they are being designed, renovated, regenerated, or transformed.