UE-8 Churriana

UE-8 Churriana

Luis Llopis

UE-8 Churriana
© Javier Callejas

ARCHITECTS
Luis Llopis

CONSTRUCTION
Garasa, S.A.

STRUCTURES
Manuel Gª Navas

DESIGN TEAM
Eva Chacón (architect), Miguel Dumont, Jose Manuel Ramos, Carmen L. Saorín y Roberto Moreno (architecture students)

TECHNICAL ARCHITECT 
Cristina Llopis

FACILITIES CONSULTANTS
Gómez Pastor / AIT

YEAR
2008

LOCATION
Churriana De La Vega, Spain

CATEGORY
Housing, Offices

UE-8 Churriana
© Javier Callejas

Text description provided by architect.

In an urban context in which rows of terraced houses or blocks with minimal yards predominate, the uniqueness of this project lies in how to interpret the building regulations, in order to achieve an optimal typology, without losing sight of the maximum optimization of conditions of the plot.

The final design makes obvious immediate responses that characterize the urban landscape of the area, which is undifferentiated and monotonous, preferring to concentrate the volume in two linear housing blocks facing each other, releasing a common space between them, which is channeled into the third office building that serves as backdrop to the play area.

UE-8 Churriana
© Javier Callejas
UE-8 Churriana
© Javier Callejas

This produces urban permeability, by fragmenting the block and allowing crosed views between different blocks, and from the city towards them.

BASED ON THE ABOVE CONSIDERATIONS, THE PROJECT IS STRUCTURED AROUND THREE FORMAL GESTURES:

The ground level of the common garage in the basement determines the ground floor slabs.

UE-8 Churriana
© Javier Callejas
UE-8 Churriana
© Javier Callejas

The same level is kept on the first floor, organizing a two-storey basement enhancing the horizontality of the overall composition.

The other significant gesture that characterizes the project is the symmetry of volumes on the attic and garret levels.

UE-8 Churriana
© Javier Callejas
UE-8 Churriana
© Javier Callejas

The final design is the result of pushing the building regulations in order to achieve the planned buildable area for the site, designing the attic floor with a setback of three meters into the site, to compensate for the setback to the facade.

UE-8 Churriana
© Javier Callejas

The third compositional argument is the color treatment of the different volumes, using exposed brick, waterproofed in different colors for each floor, in housing and offices.

UE-8 Churriana
Floor Plan
UE-8 Churriana
Elevations

In both cases the volumes are contained by the exposed structural grid, which plays the role of a mesh, enhanced with a significant color value.


UE-8 Churriana
Section AA