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Residential Innovation Under Budget Constraints: Affordable Housing Can Also Be Comfortable and Aesthetic

Release Time:

2025-09-14

Residential Innovation Under Budget Constraints: Affordable Housing Can Also Be Comfortable and Aesthetic

Facing a tight budget, #Housing Is quality the only thing that must be sacrificed? This issue features five selected social housing cases that provide a negative answer. In places like Spain, South Africa, and the Netherlands, architects transform cost control into design opportunities through spatial structure optimization, local material adaptation, and passive climate strategies, proving that affordable housing can also balance comfort, aesthetics, and long-term sustainability, allowing low-income groups to enjoy dignified and comfortable living.

Adjustable green metal facade brings a fresh tone to the residence

Spain: NSA 14 – 205 Social Housing Units for EMVS

Company: Ricardo Sánchez González

This residential project is located in the "Nuestra Se ñ ora de los Á ngeles ” neighborhood, covering 9,798.26 square meters, with a maximum buildable residential area of 15,930 square meters. The whole consists of two volumes, each approximately 70×18 meters, with a maximum of eight floors.

To reduce the heaviness brought by the large volume, the design introduces a light zigzag line on the facade, adding dynamism to the building without affecting the functionality of the units. The folds naturally form light wells, allowing sunlight to pour into the corridors and cleverly integrating with the traffic core.

The main entrance is located on San Diego Avenue. Passing through the porch-style open space leads to the central garden, which serves as a shared living room for residents and a lush social space. Each building has two staircases and a set of four elevators. The units are arranged along longitudinal corridors, clearly separating active and quiet zones, with simple circulation and open views; terraces are carefully designed to further enhance the spatial experience.

The project fully implements accessibility concepts: zero-level paths, elevators on all floors, and gentle landscape ramps are all included. The exterior walls use the SATE external insulation system, and the outside of the terraces features sliding perforated metal screens that regulate sunlight while ensuring privacy. The overall design balances functionality, environment, and social interaction, creating a high-quality and warm living atmosphere.

Red bricks and blue aluminum frames together create a residential space with local cultural atmosphere

South Africa: 9 on Nares Apartment Building

Company: Two Five Five Architects

Observatory (locally known as "Obs") is a vibrant and distinctive suburb in Cape Town, South Africa, located east of the city center. It has a strong Bohemian vibe, diverse residents, and a rich artistic atmosphere. Victorian-era old houses coexist with residential areas, commercial streets, and old factories. Cafes, restaurants, bars, and independent shops abound, making it a gathering place for students, artists, and young professionals. Groote Schuur Hospital and the University of Cape Town are also nearby, adding cultural and academic flavor to the area.

Located in the heart of Obs, the 9 on Nares project includes 45 apartments, which precisely respond to the soul of this neighborhood within a limited budget. 。

The biggest highlight of the building is the facade: the designers use economical and durable NFX exterior bricks (Non-Facing Extra) arranged to create layered textures, like a breathing block. The bricks are pushed and pulled in a measured manner, shaping volume layers and enhancing structural stability. Compared to common NFP plaster bricks, NFX is more moisture-resistant and cheaper. The pattern naturally transitions on the wall, showing rhythm from afar and details up close.

Window openings and balconies use royal blue aluminum frames, adding a bright color contrast to the red brick and brown tones, full of modernity. 9 on Nares proves that good design can be achieved economically; it seamlessly integrates with Obs's street art, old buildings, and free spirit, becoming a new storytelling landmark in the community.

Locally sourced materials create beautiful, durable, and sustainable social housing that complements the urban environment

Spain: 11 Social Houses in Palma

Company: Carles Enrich Studio

The project is located on a narrow plot at the intersection of Rut Street and Darwin Street in the El Coll d'en Rabassa district on the outskirts of Palma, formerly a quarry for Mare stone. The design aims to complete the irregular urban fabric and directly address the climate crisis by proposing 11 housing units that embed and adapt to the existing environment.

The design strategy first separates the building mass from the neighboring side walls, preserving original geological remnants, forming a dual volume logic: the southeast-facing street facade is compact and regular; the courtyard side steps back layer by layer to avoid occupying the red line, creating shaded and variably scaled sky courtyards, providing multiple outdoor spaces for each unit. Ground-floor residents have permeable paved courtyards, while second-floor residents enjoy terraces.

To respond to climate change, the design returns to local passive strategies. All rooms have openings on opposite sides, stairwells have skylights that also serve as solar chimneys, achieving full cross ventilation. The west facade is recessed to provide self-shading for the most sun-exposed orientation. Ground-floor drainage gardens and low-water native vegetation reduce environmental temperature, and rainwater is collected for irrigation. Window layouts and shallow depths optimize sunlight and artificial lighting needs year-round. The facade is fully covered with white lime plaster (jabelga), which is waterproof and seals joints, while protruding elements further reduce external wall overheating.

The construction system emphasizes standardization and prefabrication, with material selection based on local availability, durability, economy, and low environmental impact. Each unit faces directly onto the street, and the building as a whole presents as row houses without the need for elevators, responding to contemporary living needs in an efficient and sustainable manner.

Green walls and red windows recreate the spatial memory of traditional Spanish courtyards.

Spain: Illa Glòries Social Housing

Company: Cierto Estudio

The project includes a total of 238 apartments, with Building A designed by Cierto Estudio housing 51 units, fully addressing the complexities of contemporary urban life. The design is guided throughout by a gender perspective, with fairness, safety, and shared family care responsibilities as core goals. Through spatial strategies encouraging neighborhood interaction, mutual care, and visibility of caregiving behaviors, the building provides a truly inclusive living environment for diverse family structures.

Illa Glòries It attempts to establish a new balance between high density and urban permeability. Two large inner courtyards and surrounding public balconies form the framework for neighborhood interaction. The residences are arranged around the courtyards in a 'corrala' style layout, continuing the spatial memory of traditional Spanish courtyards while creating a natural safety monitoring network through intersecting sightlines, effectively reducing the risk of gender-based violence. The courtyards avoid noise yet maintain visual contact with the street, and the balconies serve as daily rest nodes connecting the interior, rooftop, and courtyard, making public spaces an extension of residents' lives.

The unit design eliminates the traditional 'main hall' concept; all rooms have similar size and lighting, allowing residents to freely allocate functions as needed, reducing power differences within the household space. The kitchen is placed in a key position to promote interaction, complemented by a rotating partition and a central multifunctional room, enabling seamless switching between solitude and socializing, work and caregiving.

The project meets NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Building) standards, with the main structure using cross-laminated timber (CLT) to greatly enhance insulation performance; passive design strategies—cross ventilation, external shading, green roofs—reduce energy consumption. Over 60% of the site is developed as green space, effectively mitigating urban heat island effects and implanting a breathing green lung into the high-density community.

Modular prefabricated housing addressing the housing crisis in a social and sustainable way.

Netherlands: Moos Euterpe

Company: concrete

Moos An innovative housing concept aimed at providing high-quality housing for everyone, addressing the Dutch housing crisis in a social and sustainable manner. Moos's prefabricated homes feature circularity and modular design, allowing complete disassembly and reuse when necessary.

Moos Euterpe Located in Maasland, Netherlands, construction has begun on two blocks in Amsterdam, totaling 149 flexible housing units. The entire complex consists of two buildings facing each other, with a garden between them serving as the core space connecting residents and promoting social activities. The building facades use a stepped design, turning corridors into balconies, providing residents ample space for personalized modifications. Besides meeting personalized needs, this design also emphasizes the transition between public and private spaces, helping to foster interaction among neighbors.

The modular design offers various types and sizes of housing. Therefore, whether individuals or families, everyone can find suitable accommodation at Moos. Module types range from studios to four-bedroom homes. Since residents' life needs vary and change, Moos is committed to providing personalized options while ensuring high-quality standards. Each 2, 3, or 4-bedroom home consists of two modules: a 'base' module containing all essential living facilities, and a 'personal' module, a freely configurable space that residents can customize according to their needs and lifestyle.

Moos The vision is not only to provide high-quality and affordable housing but also to create a vibrant community. Public areas are carefully integrated into the overall design. For example, within the Moos apartment complex is Moos Plein, a public space at the entrance where residents can gather. Corridors and green spaces are fully utilized as interaction areas. These spaces are designed to encourage interaction and connection among residents.

Moos The project's mixed and circular material use distinguishes it from traditional construction methods. Traditional materials are replaced by sustainable, recycled, and reused materials sourced from partners. When recycled materials cannot be used, the design team employs bio-based alternatives.

Moos Although the residences are permanent structures, they are fully detachable, making them suitable for temporary housing projects without compromising long-term living quality. These temporary homes also meet permanent building permit requirements and can be relocated in the future. Moos offers a temporary housing buy-back guarantee, committing to repurchase these homes after their use period ends. This ensures circular reuse and reduces environmental impact.