a+t architecture publishers

"Do not be overwhelmed by the house of the future. Think of the 25 million social dwellings which exist in Europe, of the users, who want to recover the dignity they might never have had, and label them the future. Return to the first person before designing and remember that a ventilated kitchen encourages cooking, that bedrooms should be more than just oversize wardrobes, that circulation elements should not cross the living areas. If you add outdoor space, pamper it, so that the user sees it as a plus and not a minus. Give it the option to create its own ecosystem and facilitate an invasion of greenery. Do not force the users to live together, do not attempt to engineer their behaviour. Generic residents do not exist, they are as unique as you are. Take yourself as the measure and visualize your profile in each space. If you want it to be someone else’s house, think of it as if it were your own.

Use your skills to the limit and take the risks you would be willing to assume for your own house and from your own pocket. Defend what is necessary for yourself and do not take the needs or customs of the client lightly. Try to make the standards compatible with common sense and give the unexpected a chance.Do not stigmatize the users nor insist on leaving your mark. Do not see yourself as a victim. If you believe in the dense city, make every dwelling a desirable home".

Extract from the article by Aurora Fernández Per Density and Desire, published in the book Density is Home.