‘social dwellings in cerredo’ by zon-e in cerredo, spain all images courtesy zon-e

‘social dwellings in cerredo’ by madrid-based practice zon-e is a multi-storey housing project in cerredo, a mining town located in the cantabrian mountains of spain. consisting of two perpendicular buildings in an ‘L’ arrangement, the design of the larger apartment was derived from the combined effect of working with the local town-planning regulations as well as the topography and pre-existing conditions of the site.

zon e: social dwellings in cerredo street view

wrapped in a skin of black bricks, the angular volume resembles a crystallized piece of coal, referencing both the local context as well as the surrounding landscape’s shape and characteristics. the faces that look onto the adjacent street is pierced with generously-sized square windows, which protrude off the plane of the building to result in a three-dimensional effect that lends the building a distinguishable identity.

zon e: social dwellings in cerredo back facade

accommodating 15 units, the interior is finished in white, setting itself apart from the building’s exterior expression. the apartments become gallery-like spaces, visually communicating with the energy of the street through the stage-like windows. the extruding cubes serve another purpose as heat and light exchangers.

zon e: social dwellings in cerredo interior view of apartment unit

zon e: social dwellings in cerredo extruding cube provides a small outdoor space

zon e: social dwellings in cerredo

zon e: social dwellings in cerredo night view