Located at Av. Mare de Déu de Montserrat, 5-11, the building will have 11,000 square metres of floor space and combine public housing, residential support and communal spaces. The work is resuming after it came to a halt when the previous construction company went bankrupt. The new tender is for a larger project that includes the conditioning of the spaces earmarked for facilities.

Eighty-three homes with services for the elderly

The new building will have a basement, a ground floor, a mezzanine floor and four or five upper floors, depending on the regulation of the two streets it gives on to. The homes with services will be located from the first floor upwards, while the spaces used for facilities, storage and technical rooms will be located between the ground floor and the basement.

Each of the 83 homes will a have a double room with windows, a living and dining room, a kitchen with windows, a bathroom and a private balcony. All the flats will give on to the street and the inner yard to ensure efficient cross-ventilation.

The design includes three yards that will add light and ventilation and create meeting areas. The central yard stands out and will act as a large reception space with the entrances to homes and facilities.

Assistance for the elderly

One new aspect to the project is the addition of a communal space on the fourth floor for elderly people who need much more support, adopting a new model that combines private spaces, with a bedroom and a bathroom, with communal spaces. The space is intended to meet the needs of senior citizens who need more intensive support, in an environment that favours autonomy and coexistence.

New community facilities for the neighbourhood

The Espai Quiró also includes different multi-purpose and community spaces to respond to the lack of facilities in the neighbourhood of La Salut. The initial definition of uses had input from local residents’ organisations to conciliate the neighbourhood’s various needs and includes activities such as urban allotments, open-air film sessions and communal meals, which had been organised on the site before the work began.

The basement will house the foyer, the auditorium, seating and rehearsal rooms. Between the ground floor and the first floor there will be a neighbourhood centre for young people and the elderly, plus services shared with the homes. On the fifth floor there will be a room for users of the communal allotment.