Social Housing in Eivissa

photo by Pol Viladoms

Many issues shared by people across the world come together in the problems of housing. It continues to get too expensive for the average person, locals get priced out by tourists or second homers with increasing income differences between different professions adding to the affordability crisis.

New affordable housing could be a positive part of the Green Transition, and could support even build stable communities. But between modern building codes and political drift it’s often hard to address these problems effectively.

That’s why 08014 Arquitectura’s 2023 Social Housing building in Eivissa, Spain is so interesting.

The apartment block is in Platja d’en Bossa a popular resort town where communities are often priced out by 2nd home tourists and retirees. The building was commissioned by Eivissa’s city council with the support of the local government as social housing.

Built in 2022 the layout is really impressive with 24 L-shaped apartments point access 4-story block. The internal courtyards and L shaped apartments mean that 8 apartments instead of the usual 3 or 4 can be served by a single stair, and that the apartments get cross ventilation essential in such a hot climate without the use of mechanical ventilation there are no heating systems either.

plans by AR

Two‑bedroom flats are 75m2 (thats alot) and larger three‑bedroom flats are 88m2. Walls are half a meter thick load-bearing fired clay blocks. Carbon emissions of building was 439kg of CO2/m2 and with no ventilation or heating systems this makes these apartments very sustainable. See AR article for more details.

Apartment showing materials and openings.photo by Pol Viladoms