a+t architecture publishers

"Let’s choose housing as the essential object of the city.

Let’s have a look at the place where it’s implemented (urban extensions, downtowns, outskirts...)

Let’s check the occupancy data of the territory in which it is located (number of inhabitants, density...)

Let’s check the insertion into the urban grid (plot occupancy, planning permission, number of dwellings...)

Let’s find out who’s doing the development (private initiative, public, mixed...)

Who are the users? (the young, the elderly, anyone...)

With a bit of luck there might be other uses in the project (businesses, offices, facilities...)

Let’s ask the authors nicely to let us know the build cost per square metre.

Let’s adapt the cost to the purchasing power of the country where it’s located. This is inevitable if we want to compare on equal footing

Once inside, let’s see how the common spaces are distributed.

Let’s find out how many dwelling sizes there are in each project (1, 2, 3 or more bedrooms....)

Let’s have a snoop around the building sections (1:50)

Let’s rake through the details (1:20)

Let’s look at how the materials appear in the facade and on the roof.

Let’s analyze the layers of the envelope with a simple colour code.

Let’s ask the authors which sustainable strategies they’ve used (sometimes they reply, sometimes...)

Let’s add a good collection of photos.

Let’s do this 32 times and compare.

Finally, let’s add some thoughts and findings.

This is, more or less, what we call HoCo."

AURORA FERNÁNDEZ PER