7.12.2007
PH URBANO 07
Assuming the challenge of reinterpreting the old associative traditions of the neighborhood, by means of the patio/hallway/pavement scale, a modernized variant of the PH (block of apartments) category is here presented. Located in Palermo Viejo on Thames street, on a double-fronted site we’ve built two blocks of apartments made up of eight duplex dwellings which face both east and west, and three apartments all leading to a semi-public courtyard that becomes the main feature within the composition.
All units converge on the patio, which acts as a joint to the blocks of apartments. The result is a composition of galleries, semi-covered walkways and vertical circulations that combine in a visual organizing array that gradually paves the way to privacy.The reinforced concrete structure is composed of a split-level ground floor which stands out with a resistant-looking porch, which leads to the garage and the two largest duplex units. As from the second story, each block is divided into three one-room and duplex units. Those units facing the front, apart from having a balcony with a view to the street, use the sun terrace facing Thames Street as a courtyard-extension. Those units that don’t face the front look onto the ground floor garden and to the centre of the block with a good view of the neighborhood.The materials employed highlight the unusual design of the structure compared to the surrounding buildings, while blending into the physiognomy of the block. The use of concrete, U-glass, aluminum, and synthetic resin panes give great expressive power to the common areas that blend into the building according to its uses and functions (bridges, balconies, terraces). An ecological tank has also been added to this design, which, apart from leveling the general volume, serves as a rainwater reutilization system for diverse everyday purposes.