Alto Residencial Coop

Alto Residencial Coop is a housing project with 33–34 units located near the Santa Marta Hermitage in Santiago de Compostela. Developed by a housing cooperative and designed by Carbajo Barrios Architects, it was completed in 2023. The building features a U-shaped layout, a double-height central corridor, and ventilated façades made of perforated metal. Its pitched roof offers a contemporary take on traditional forms. The project was a finalist in the 2025 COAG Awards for multi-family housing, noted for its participatory model, energy efficiency, and urban integration.

Beyond my affinity for contemporary architecture, I find this building especially appealing. Its unified colour scheme and the design of its windows give it the appearance of an architectural drawing brought straight from sketch to reality — almost like a render turned into built form. That sense of coherence and formal clarity is what, in my view, makes it such a visually and expressively powerful space.