Through subtle interplay between buildings, the residential complex designed by Díaz y Díaz Arquitectos adapts to the layout of Rúa Prado Novo, promoting an architecture that seeks to integrate seamlessly with the site. The connection with nature extends into the interior of the homes: the ground floors feature private gardens, while the upper floors incorporate spacious terraces. In this way, the project blurs the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces, providing ideal conditions for comfort and quality of life.
For its construction, an efficient and low-maintenance system was chosen, based on the use of materials such as corrugated metal sheeting for the common base, an external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) on the upper floors, and wood for terraces, balconies, and other exterior elements. Together, these resources contribute to a unified image that is both warm and connected to the surrounding environment.
Project description by Díaz y Díaz Arquitectos
The Valdecorvos public housing development proposes an architecture aimed at creating a high-quality residential environment by integrating architecture, landscape and sustainability. Located in one of Pontevedra’s main expansion areas, next to green spaces such as Parque das Regas, the proposal establishes a direct relationship between the dwellings and their natural surroundings.
The development is organised into four freestanding buildings: Block 1, with a square floor plan, and Blocks 2, 3 and 4, with rectangular layouts. Their arrangement encourages natural daylight, cross-ventilation and visual permeability, creating open spaces between the buildings that act as connectors and places for meeting, rest and social interaction.
The buildings adapt to the alignment of Rúa Prado Novo through slight rotations in relation to one another. The architectural image combines three main materials: corrugated metal sheeting at the shared plinth, external thermal insulation render systems on the upper floors, and timber on terraces, balconies and other exterior elements. This combination creates a unified image while introducing warmth and reinforcing the connection with the surroundings.
The relationship between architecture and nature extends into the dwellings themselves. Ground-floor units have private gardens, while the upper floors include generous terraces, strengthening the continuity between interior and exterior spaces across the 74 dwellings that make up the development and providing appropriate conditions of comfort and quality of life. Timber also introduces warmth and a more human scale, contributing to the project’s landscape integration and sustainability goals.
Overall, the project proposes an efficient, sustainable and low-maintenance construction model, based on an architecture closely connected to the site and aimed at creating an integrated, habitable and community-oriented residential environment.
