SANT PERE RIBES HOUSING | External Reference

Type of project: Residential building Project: Casa Álvarez Location: Sant Pere de Ribes, Spain Status: In construction Handing over date of basic project: March 2008 Handing over date of executive project: June 2008 Client: Alvarez Family Built up area: 500 m2 Solar area: 160 m2 Project team: N. Toribio, C. Zappulla with M. Tepedino, E. Rovira Collaborators: P. Brandao, M. Norite, A. Bonanova Systems: A. Torralba Huguet, X. Careers Camps Structure: ESTUDI U PUNT SIS S.L. Constructor: Construcciones Lara Budget: 950.000 € This project tells the story of: 1) a Catalan family, 2) a newborn architectural firm and 3) the Spanish crisis. In Catalunya, on land located in S. Pere de Ribes, the dream of every Mediterranean family becomes true: the construction of a five-store building where grandparents, parents and children can live together. The architectural firm called External Reference has designed a proposal aimed to reconcile the needs of grandparents, parents and children, as well as the rigid building restrictions. The result is a block of bricks abraded by legal constraints and the inhabitants’ needs. The project, completed and approved by the Municipality, will remain in the architectural magazines waiting for banks to finance this Catalan family’s dream.