"Inclusive and sustainable" social housing in Barcelona named world's best building by RIBA

A social housing project in Barcelona by local studio Peris + Toral Arquitectes has been named the winner of this year's RIBA International Prize.

Named 85 Social Dwellings in Cornellà, the project was selected as the winner of the biannual award by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) from a three-strong shortlist.

Peris + Toral Arquitectes was praised for its design that centres on a modular timber framework designed to promote flexibility for its residents, which the jury said "is both aspirational and demonstrates genuine change".

Completed in 2022, the housing development comprises 85 equally-sized apartments that are each organised around the central kitchen, which doubles as a main circulation space.

According to Peris + Toral Arquitectes, this layout is designed to make "domestic labour visible" in the home, in a bid to challenge gender roles and challenge traditional residential layouts.

Another key feature of 85 Social Dwellings in Cornellà is its modular mass-timber structure, chosen to ensure future adaptability while reducing its carbon footprint and construction time.

Amateur Architecture Studio founder Lu Wenyu, who served as chair of the jury, hailed the project as a "worthy winner" for its role in setting "a precedent for future developments".

"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," Wenyu said.

"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."

The RIBA International prize is awarded biennially to a building that "demonstrates visionary thinking, originality, excellence of execution, and makes a distinct contribution to its users, surrounding environment and communities".

85 Social Dwellings in Cornellà was selected ahead of the Jacoby Studios office by David Chipperfield Architects in Germany and the Lianzhou Museum of Photography in China by O-office Architects.

RIBA president Muyiwa Oki said the winning project offers a "strong example of the ways in which architects can create new and implementable solutions to the common challenge of creating housing for all".

"Peris + Toral Arquitectes' inspiring housing project in Spain embodies the kind of transformational spirit that is both aspirational and demonstrates genuine change," Oki said.

"This visionary scheme allows for new and future ideas of what constitutes a family, and should be seen as a blueprint for delivering sustainable, quality housing around the world at scale."

Previous winners of the RIBA International prize include a rural hospital in Bangladesh by Kashef Chowdhury/URBANA, which won in 2022, and a boarding school in Brazil by Aleph Zero and Rosenbaum, which won in 2018.

The RIBA also recently announced the winner of the prestigious Stirling Prize for 2024. It was awarded to the Elizabeth Line in London by architecture studios Grimshaw, Maynard, Equation and AtkinsRéalis.

The photography is by José Hevia.

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