The Life Reusing Posidonia project is the latest part of the Social Housing Revival series by Dezeen. The project features a group of 14 dwellings that are located on the Mediterranean Island of Formentera. The low-cost homes are designed by architects at the Balearic Social Housing Institute with a hyper-focus on the use of local materials including dried seagrass to form the buildings. The seagrass used did not need to rely on additional treatments due to its sea salt quantity, which is both preservative and biocide.
The programme speaks about the project, stating "The project had a significant social component from the very beginning. Through this paradigm, indebted to 'think global, act local', we propose a hyper-local architecture model, in which each project becomes a map of the territory's resources. This approach allows us to relate the environmental issue with the cultural tradition of each region, achieving not only the prevention of global warming and an improvement in air quality, [but also the] recovery of the landscape quality of cities."
Balearic Island Housing Projects
The Life Reusing Posidonia Project has 14 Dwellings on the Island
Trend Themes
1. Local Material Usage - Innovative housing projects are emphasizing the use of local materials like dried seagrass for sustainable construction.
2. Hyper-local Architecture Model - Architects are pioneering a hyper-local architecture model that integrates environmental concerns with cultural traditions in building design.
3. Social Housing Revival - The Social Housing Revival series is showcasing projects with a strong social component and sustainable construction practices.
Industry Implications
1. Construction and Architecture - The construction and architecture industries have opportunities to explore innovative sustainable building techniques using locally-sourced materials.
2. Environmental Design - Environmental design professionals can leverage hyper-local architecture models to create eco-friendly structures that reflect regional cultural traditions.
3. Social Impact Development - Businesses focusing on social impact development can partner with architects to promote sustainable social housing projects with a community-focused approach.