The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has named 85 Social Housing in Cornellà de Llobregat (Barcelona), an 85-unit timber-framed social housing development designed by Peris + Toral Arquitectes, as the winner of the RIBA International Prize 2024.
On behalf of the Jury, Lu Wenyu said: “Through this innovative approach to social housing, Peris + Toral Arquitectes has responded to the shifting demands of societal groupings by crafting a housing project that is adaptive, inclusive and sustainable. Not defined by stereotypes or fixed assumptions of what constitutes ‘family’, the intelligent organization of space encourages lively interaction and connection within the community, ensuring that the architecture functions on different scales – from the discrete dwelling to the collective space. This building has set a precedent for future developments in Barcelona and beyond and is a worthy winner of the RIBA International Prize 2024.”
The units of a five-story apartment block in Cornellà form a matrix that ensures maximum use of floor area as well as an optimal bay for the structure made of zero-kilometer timber. The construction is organized around a courtyard at whose four corners the vertical circulation cores are located, and out to which the private terraces giving access to the dwellings look. All the home units are composed of square-shaped modules with undifferentiated sizes and uses, arranged enfilade by means of large openings that omit corridors and let users enjoy double orientations.
Book: Housing, 50 Works in Spain
Arquitectura Viva 263: Peris + Toral
AV Monografías 243-244: España 2022
Alongside the International Prize, RIBA has also announced the winner of the International Emerging Architect Award 2024. ARCity has been named the winner for their project Six Bricolage Houses. The award is given in recognition of those making a significant contribution to the field of architecture who have been practicing for 10 years or less. The project, in Nantou Ancient City in Shenzen, China, is a curated series of six self-built homes, built as a pioneering and innovative model for urban renewal in order to meet community needs for housing whilst integrating sensitively with the ancient streets of the historic heart of the city.
Six Bricolage Houses in Shenzhen by ARCity Office
