The keys to the flats for young people between the ages of 18 and 35 were handed over today, enabling them to access the building in the Fabra i Coats factory in the neighbourhood of Sant Andreu de Palomar. Five homes were also made available to the Barcelona Institute of Culture (ICUB), which will use them for residential stays by artists working at creation factories and visiting on an exchange basis. The block cost 6.3 million euros plus VAT.

The building has 44 two-bedroom flats and 2 one-bedroom adapted flats, all with an average floor space of 64 square metres. The new building features large communal spaces which the young residents can share according to their needs. The use of these spaces will be decided on via a participatory process conducted by the Municipal Institute of Housing and Renovation (IMHAB), beginning at the start of 2020.

Sustainable construction

The block was built according to sustainability criteria. It is the first public rental housing block to be constructed inside an industrial building, with the outer structure of the factory having been conserved. The block was constructed as a building within a building, the outer shell being separate to the inner structure and the capacity of the original structure being exploited a hundred per cent.

The interior structure is made almost entirely of wood, with a low environmental impact. All the materials used are recycled or recyclable, representing low energy costs.

All the flats also have grade-A energy certificates thanks to a high-efficiency aerothermal system, solar protection and cross ventilation.

Space for the Colla Castellera Jove de Barcelona

The human towers group Colla Castellera Jove de Barcelona will also have their own training space in the building, in a large central section of roughly 10 metres by 10 metres and a ceiling height of 9 metres.