Quinta Monroy Housing Project
200best ES
Alejandro Aravena
2003
Type
Collective dwelling
Tags
renovations, social housing , new housing blocks, informal urban fabrics, 200Best
Visitability
Visible from the street
Description
The programme given to the architects was clear. To rehouse the 100 families who had been illegally occupying a plot of land in the centre of Iquique, without evicting them from the site, so as not to break the bonds of the neighbourhood. This wise premise took up a large part of the budget for the purchase of the urban land. The tight budget and the need to accommodate the 100 families led to a solution that would allow each family to expand their living space according to their needs and economic capacity. In order to achieve the required density, the typology chosen was that of housing between party walls, although initially only half of the houses were offered. In this way, families could aspire to a home with the characteristics of a middle-class house. The facilities in the houses have been designed to meet the needs of the house once it has been extended, so that subsequent work is affordable for most of them. The houses are grouped around a communal space that acts as a transition between the street and the private space, encouraging a sense of community between neighbours. This project, although not without its difficulties over the years, is an example of how citizens can contribute to the creation of their own habitat.