A social housing boom is underway in Spain. Thanks to architectural competitions organized by municipal or regional authorities, government-subsidized projects are not only growing in number, adding much-needed housing supply, but are just as — if not more — thoughtfully designed than their market-rate counterparts. The Balearic Islands, an archipelago off the Eastern coast of Spain, has its own reputation for delivering forward-thinking social housing. Since 2010, the Balearic Institute of Housing (IBAVI), a government agency, has been developing small-scale projects as a means to experiment with sustainable and local materials — including fossil-fuel-free bricks and tiles and dried Neptune grass thermal insulation — helping to inform energy-efficiency requirements for larger commissions. In Inca, a small town on the island of Mallorca, a new social housing development by local architect Joan Josep Fortuny Giró and Barcelona firm Alventosa Morell Arquitectes marks another success story for IBAVI.

The project’s two rectilinear volumes are arranged in an L-shaped formation that frames a central public space. Each volume comprises a series of three-storey housing modules with two units per floor, for a total of 54 units. The modules are organized around a central core, ensuring ample sunlight and cross-ventilation, with a private garden on the ground floor and terraces on the upper levels.

The placement of the living and sleeping quarters varies on each floor, according to the orientation of the sun, wind and views. These passive design strategies work alongside a high-performance, low-consumption aerothermal system and rooftop PV and rainwater collection to create an exceptionally efficient building.

Thanks to local regulations, parking was moved underground, freeing up the rest of the 3,266-square-metre rectangular site for community spaces, filled with gravel that allows the rainwater to flow naturally into the soil below. Jacaranda trees have been planted along the circulation route and will eventually bloom to provide both protection from the hot sun and a dose of vibrant colour.

From the courtyard, the building’s materiality shines. The envelope leverages local perforated ceramic bricks fired with biomass by Ladrillerías Mallorquinas, filled with recycled cotton insulation and coated in an insulating mortar made from recycled cork, by Diasen. The use of locally sourced materials helps ensure a low-carbon and contextually sensitive design: thermal mass and hygroscopic properties work to keep indoor temperatures comfortable while reducing CO2 emissions by 50 per cent compared to similar buildings.

The true pièces de résistance, however, are the sustainably sourced Larch wood sunshades by Fusteria Galmes that line the façade, opening to reveal the lime green window frames and balconies behind them. As they fold open and closed throughout the day, adapting to the needs of residents, they animate the courtyard and street front, illustrating the life inside.