The Assembly




Spring 2020 // University of Michigan
Professor: Eduardo Madiero
Collaboration: Amelia Linde
Location: Madrid, Spain
Recognition: Taubman College Student Show 2021

Madrid is part of a global shift in urban property value characterized by a stratification of wealth long spurred by property laws resulting from economic measures taken during the 2008 crisis. In 2015 a set of Urban Lease Laws that had been regulating property and rents expired after 20 years of protection. Since then, rents have increased an average of 25% with extreme cases exceeding twice their 2015 value. The neighborhoods experiencing the most abrupt changes are Malasana and Lavapies. Both are largely residential areas adjacent to Madrid’s historic city center and are characterized by narrow, sloped streets, and local eateries. However, now they are the backdrop to a contentious fight between volatile, speculative housing markets and locals who wish to remain in the places they have lived most of their lives. The Assembly is a proposal for a new urban complex that uses a co-op financial model of property ownership, crowdsource funding, and phased modular construction, allowing for existing residents to claim ownership of their neighborhood while exhibiting their vibrant local culture.

The site is a 30,000 SF vacant plot owned by the city. It is an infill condition with a gradual 16’ slope from north to south with large frontage to the south and smaller frontage to the west and north.
With assistance from the city, the ownership of the land would gradually be transferred to a network of existing co-ops in the surrounding neighborhood. This network would then put forth the required capital to complete incremental stages of the project, acknowledging that the upfront costs for this scale of construction would be difficult to provide at one time. The project is composed of four main structures that coincide with construction phasing: the assembly hall which houses maker spaces and a large gathering room, the co-op network foundation offices, co-op multifamily housing, and coworking offices. Each are arranged around a central courtyard that is able to host public events. At all stages the project is able to be used and occupied with an emphasis toward community engagement.

The programming and material of the complex embraces a temporal character whose form evokes function. Precast concrete columns and beams of a red coloration are set to a regular module and are able to receive future room arrangements and applications. Larger trusses allow for larger gathering spaces and uninterrupted circulation through the site. The Spanish brick matches the palate of nearby buildings to allow for seamless connection with the neighborhood.

 

The Assembly




Spring 2020 // University of Michigan
Professor: Eduardo Madiero
Collaboration: Amelia Linde
Location: Madrid, Spain
Recognition: Taubman College Student Show 2021

Madrid is part of a global shift in urban property value characterized by a stratification of wealth long spurred by property laws resulting from economic measures taken during the 2008 crisis. In 2015 a set of Urban Lease Laws that had been regulating property and rents expired after 20 years of protection. Since then, rents have increased an average of 25% with extreme cases exceeding twice their 2015 value. The neighborhoods experiencing the most abrupt changes are Malasana and Lavapies. Both are largely residential areas adjacent to Madrid’s historic city center and are characterized by narrow, sloped streets, and local eateries. However, now they are the backdrop to a contentious fight between volatile, speculative housing markets and locals who wish to remain in the places they have lived most of their lives. The Assembly is a proposal for a new urban complex that uses a co-op financial model of property ownership, crowdsource funding, and phased modular construction, allowing for existing residents to claim ownership of their neighborhood while exhibiting their vibrant local culture.

The site is a 30,000 SF vacant plot owned by the city. It is an infill condition with a gradual 16’ slope from north to south with large frontage to the south and smaller frontage to the west and north.
With assistance from the city, the ownership of the land would gradually be transferred to a network of existing co-ops in the surrounding neighborhood. This network would then put forth the required capital to complete incremental stages of the project, acknowledging that the upfront costs for this scale of construction would be difficult to provide at one time. The project is composed of four main structures that coincide with construction phasing: the assembly hall which houses maker spaces and a large gathering room, the co-op network foundation offices, co-op multifamily housing, and coworking offices. Each are arranged around a central courtyard that is able to host public events. At all stages the project is able to be used and occupied with an emphasis toward community engagement.

The programming and material of the complex embraces a temporal character whose form evokes function. Precast concrete columns and beams of a red coloration are set to a regular module and are able to receive future room arrangements and applications. Larger trusses allow for larger gathering spaces and uninterrupted circulation through the site. The Spanish brick matches the palate of nearby buildings to allow for seamless connection with the neighborhood.

 

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