Quinta Monroy Social Housing Project in Iquique, Chile by Elemental

Elemental architect studio in Chile had assigned the task to settle about 100 families of the Quinta Monroy, in the same 5,000 sqm site that they have illegally occupied for the last 30 years. The site is located in the very center of Iquique, a city in the Chilean desert.

Using budget about US$ 7,500 they could only design around 30 sqm of built space. Assuming that 1 house holds 1 family which occupied in a 1 lot area, th design were able to host just 30 families in the site. That's why the social housing concept should do the best for the near-impossible task.

Elemental was thinking to achieve enough density without overcrowding, in order to be able to pay for the site, which because of its location was very expensive. To keep the site, meant to maintain the network of opportunities that the city offered and therefore to strengthen the family economy; on the other hand, good location is the key to increase a property value.

Second, the provision a physical space for the “extensive family” to develop, has proved to be a key issue in the economical take off of a poor family. In between the private and public space, they introduced the collective space, conformed by around 20 families. The collective space (a common property with restricted access) is an intermediate level of association that allows surviving fragile social conditions.

Third, due to the fact that 50% of each unit’s volume, will eventually be self-built, the building had to be porous enough to allow each unit to expand within its structure. The initial building must therefore provide a supporting, (rather than a constraining) framework in order to avoid any negative effects of self-construction on the urban environment over time, but also to facilitate the expansion process.

Architects: Elemental
Client: Gobierno regional de Tarapacá / Programa Chile-Barrio del Gobierno de Chile.
Engineering: Juan Carlos de la Llera & José Gajardo.
Contractor and Services: Proingel, Abraham Guerra, Constructora Loga S.A.
Budget: US $204 /sqm
Materials: Concrete & Cement bricks
Site Area: 5000 sqm
Constructed Area: 3500 sqm
Photographs: Elemental – Cristóbal Palma – Tadeuz Jalocha