Dutch architects [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] in collaboration with Madrid architect [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] have completed a social housing project in Madrid, Spain.

The large block is divided into thirty smaller, staggered blocks of
apartments, creating communal patios throughout the building and
allowing air and light to penetrate between the homes.

The building includes 146 apartments, most of which have loggias.

The facade is made of concrete coated in polyurethane.

Photographs are © [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and are used with permission.

The following information is from MVRDV:
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MVRDV with Blanca Lleó complete Celosia Residence, Madrid
In Madrid-Sanchinarro the first residents received the keys to their
apartments in the just completed Celosia building. Jacob van Rijs of
MVRDV and Blanca Lleó have completed the social housing block near the
Mirador Building, which is an earlier collaboration. The perforated
block of Celosia assembles 146 apartments, communal outside areas
throughout the building, and parking and commercial program in the
plinth. The total floor area is 21,550m2. With a construction cost of
12,6 million Euro the apartments can be sold for affordable prizes. The
city block is opened and allows wind and light to enter the building,
offering vistas and outside spaces contrasting the surrounding area.
The client is EMVS, the public housing corporation of the city of
Madrid.

The given volume of the city block was divided into 30 small blocks
of apartments. These blocks are positioned in a checkerboard pattern
next to and on top of each other, leaving wide openings for communal
patios throughout the building. 146 one-, two- and three-bedroom
apartments are all accessed via these communal spaces. Most apartments
offer additional private outdoor space in the shape of a loggia right
behind the front door. Inhabitants have the possibility to gather in
the communal high-rise patios which offer views towards the city and
the mountains and provide natural ventilation in summer. Opening the
front doors connects the private outdoor areas to the communal area.

The façade is made of coated concrete which was from the ground
floor up constructed in complete mould system, an efficient and clean
way to cast concrete, keeping the construction cost to a minimum; an
important asset for this social housing project. The polyurethane
coating allows the façade to shimmer and reflect depending on the light
condition.

All windows are floor to ceiling height and can be shielded from the
sun. Each apartment has the possibility of cross ventilation through
two or three facades and enjoys views through the building and to the
surrounding. A system of power efficient boilers is used in the
building; solar panels on the roof heat water reducing energy
consumption further. Underneath the building a parking garage on two
levels provides 165 parking spaces. The ground floor offers room for 6
individual retail units.

The nearby Mirador building which was completed by MVRDV and Blanca
Lleó in 2005 also discusses the traditional building block by putting
it vertical. The Celosia building is horizontally arranged around the
interior court but opposes the generic introverted architecture in the
area by bringing light and communal space into the building allowing a
perhaps more extraverted Spanish lifestyle as every apartment opens up
to a small plaza.

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Posted by Rose Etherington from dezeen.com