Internationally renowned architect Stefano Boeri has won the competition to design a new affordable housing development in Ibiza, with a project that will combine around 190 rental homes, modular timber construction and extensive communal green space.

Called Sa Casa, the project is planned for a 5,505-square-metre plot in Ca n'Escandell, on the outskirts of Ibiza Town. The proposal divides the homes between four separate residential blocks rather than concentrating them in a single large building.

The competition was organised by Casa 47, the Spanish public housing agency responsible for promoting and managing affordable public housing. Stefano Boeri Architetti was selected as the winner from 13 proposals.

Around 190 Affordable Rental Homes

Sa Casa is planned to provide approximately 190 homes for affordable rental.

The development forms part of the much larger Ca n'Escandell public housing project, which is planned to eventually contain more than 500 protected homes across several plots.

The Sa Casa plot is the largest of the three main residential parcels associated with the development and is intended to provide up to 197 protected homes, according to project information previously published by Casa 47.

The project arrives at a particularly important moment for Ibiza, where high housing costs and limited availability have become a major problem for residents and workers.

The homes are intended to form part of the public affordable-rental system rather than the conventional private property market.

Four Timber Buildings Instead of One Large Block

One of the defining characteristics of Sa Casa is its decision to divide the development into four separate volumes.

Instead of creating a single continuous apartment block, the buildings will step and shift across the sloping site.

This arrangement creates spaces between the buildings, including planted courtyards, paths and communal areas.

The architects say this configuration allows the development to respond more naturally to the terrain while creating a stronger relationship between homes, landscape and the surrounding neighbourhood.

The central area will remain open and is designed as a communal landscaped space.

Modular Timber Construction

The project will use cross-laminated timber, known as CLT, as a principal structural system.

The material consists of layers of timber fixed together in alternating directions to create structural panels.

Sa Casa will use a highly prefabricated construction system, meaning components can be manufactured away from the site before being assembled during construction.

The approach is intended to reduce construction time and waste and minimise the impact of building activity on the surrounding area.

For an island where construction logistics can be complicated and housing demand is urgent, the use of prefabricated components could become an important feature of the development.

Homes Designed to Change Over Time

The modular principle will not be limited to the structure itself.

The apartments are being designed so that their internal configuration can be adapted as residents' needs change.

Different household arrangements can therefore be accommodated within the same overall building system.

The project is intended to cater for a diverse range of residents, including younger people, families, older residents and people with reduced mobility.

The design also allows relationships between private and shared spaces to be modified over time.

That flexibility is particularly relevant to public housing, where apartments can remain in use for many years and the needs of successive residents can vary significantly.

Designed Around a Garden

Green space is one of the central elements of Sa Casa.

Rather than placing all of the available land around the buildings as residual space, the proposal makes the landscaped areas part of the architecture.

Mediterranean vegetation will run through the communal courtyards and planted paths, while greenery will also appear on the roofs.

The open centre of the complex will help connect the buildings while creating shared outdoor areas for residents.

The arrangement is intended to encourage residents to use communal spaces while maintaining privacy within the individual homes.

Shade and Natural Ventilation

The architecture has also been developed specifically for Ibiza's Mediterranean climate.

Building orientation and cross ventilation are intended to help reduce the need for mechanical cooling.

Deep balconies provide additional shading, while vegetation and green roofs can help moderate exposed surfaces.

The project also incorporates photovoltaic panels as part of its renewable-energy strategy.

The combination of passive design, greenery and renewable energy is intended to improve environmental performance while making the homes more comfortable in Ibiza's hot climate.

Rainwater and Greywater Reuse

Water management is another component of the design.

The development incorporates rainwater collection and greywater reuse systems.

Native and Mediterranean plants are being selected for the landscaped areas so that the gardens are better adapted to local climatic conditions and do not depend on excessive water consumption.

That approach is particularly relevant on an island where water availability has become an increasingly important environmental and infrastructure issue.

Stefano Boeri Brings a Green Architecture Reputation

Stefano Boeri is internationally recognised for incorporating vegetation and ecological principles into urban architecture.

His best-known project is the Bosco Verticale, or Vertical Forest, in Milan, which uses trees and plants as an integral part of residential architecture.

The Sa Casa project brings some of those ideas into a very different context.

Instead of luxury residential towers, the focus in Ibiza is affordable public housing.

The project uses greenery not simply as a visual feature, but as part of the organisation of communal areas, shading and the relationship between buildings and landscape.

A Major Project Within Ca n'Escandell

Sa Casa will become part of the wider Ca n'Escandell development, one of the most important public housing projects currently planned for Ibiza.

The broader neighbourhood is expected to contain more than 500 protected homes distributed across several plots managed by Casa 47 and the Balearic public housing system.

The development is being created on the outskirts of Ibiza Town as part of efforts to increase the supply of publicly supported housing.

The scale is significant in a local market where demand for affordable homes far exceeds available supply.

The Competition Attracted 13 Proposals

Casa 47 selected the winning project following an architectural competition involving 13 proposals.

The jury ultimately chose Sa Casa for the way it responds to the sloping terrain, divides the housing into several volumes and integrates the buildings with communal landscape.

The winning scheme was selected from four finalists after the initial submissions were assessed.

The competition model was intended to encourage innovative architectural solutions rather than simply selecting a conventional apartment block design.

From Competition Winner to Construction

Although the architectural competition has now been decided, Sa Casa is not yet a completed development.

Stefano Boeri Architetti has been appointed to develop the architectural project and oversee the design process.

The project remains classified as ongoing, meaning further technical, administrative and construction stages must be completed before residents can move in.

The previous contract information for the site indicates a 50-month period for the preparation of the project and direction of the future works, beginning once the contract is formally signed.

The construction timetable will therefore depend on the completion of the remaining administrative and technical procedures.

A €1.23 Million Design Contract

Casa 47 awarded the architectural contract for the Ca n'Escandell plot to Stefano Boeri Architetti for €1,232,414 excluding VAT.

The contract covers preparation of the basic and execution projects as well as construction management.

The contract has a stated duration of 50 months, although the timetable depends on the formalisation of the contract and subsequent stages of the development process.

The construction of the homes itself will require a separate procurement process.

Why Modular Construction Matters in Ibiza

The project's use of industrialised construction is particularly relevant given the pressure on Ibiza's housing market.

Traditional construction can take considerable time, particularly for large residential developments.

Prefabricated timber components can be manufactured in controlled conditions before arriving on site, potentially reducing certain stages of construction and limiting waste.

The design team presents modular construction as a way of creating housing that can be reproduced and adapted to different contexts.

The approach could therefore be significant beyond this single development if it proves efficient in practice.

Affordable Housing at a Critical Moment

The project is being developed against the backdrop of one of Ibiza's most serious housing crises in decades.

Residents face high purchase prices and rents, while workers often struggle to find long-term accommodation close to their jobs.

The pressure has contributed to increasingly visible forms of precarious housing across the island.

The construction of protected rental homes is therefore one of the main tools available to public administrations seeking to increase the supply of housing that is insulated, at least partly, from the private market.

Sa Casa represents one contribution to that broader effort.

Housing for Different Generations

The design has deliberately avoided creating a housing model aimed at a single type of resident.

The adaptable layouts are intended to work for young people, families, older residents and people with mobility requirements.

Accessibility is incorporated into the design, while the modular arrangement allows homes and communal spaces to evolve over time.

This could make the development more resilient to demographic changes than housing designed around a single household model.

The Landscape Is Part of the Architecture

One of the most distinctive elements of Sa Casa is the relationship between the buildings and the landscape.

The four blocks will be separated by planted routes, terraces and communal spaces instead of being arranged as a single enclosed perimeter.

The architects intend the central landscape to act almost like a public living room for the development.

The approach also creates visual connections between the surrounding neighbourhood and the internal communal areas.

A More Mediterranean Approach to Public Housing

The project is notable because its architectural language is specifically adapted to Ibiza.

Rather than treating affordable housing as a standardised block that could be built anywhere, the proposal incorporates Mediterranean vegetation, outdoor spaces, balconies, shade and passive ventilation.

The result is intended to respond to the island's climate while maintaining an emphasis on affordability.

The project therefore combines a modern industrialised building system with elements strongly associated with traditional Mediterranean living.

The Broader Ca n'Escandell Transformation

Sa Casa is only one component of the larger transformation planned for Ca n'Escandell.

Across the development, more than 500 protected homes are planned, creating a new residential district with a substantial public-housing component.

Other plots are being developed through separate processes involving Casa 47 and the Balearic housing authorities.

The completion of the full neighbourhood will therefore take place in stages.

For Ibiza, the project represents an important attempt to create a substantial new supply of publicly supported rental housing within the municipality.

An International Architect Working on a Local Housing Problem

Stefano Boeri's involvement gives the project an international architectural profile, but the underlying issue is distinctly local.

The challenge is how to provide homes that are affordable, environmentally responsible and adaptable in one of Europe's most expensive and tourism-dependent island markets.

Sa Casa's answer combines public rental housing with timber prefabrication, flexible layouts and extensive greenery.

Whether those ideas deliver the intended results will ultimately depend on construction, costs, maintenance and the experience of the future residents.

What Happens Next

The competition phase is now complete, but significant work remains before Sa Casa becomes a functioning housing development.

The architectural team must continue developing the technical plans, while the necessary administrative procedures and future construction tender must also be completed.

Only after those stages will construction of the approximately 190 homes begin.

For now, the winning design provides a clear vision for what the development could look like: four timber residential blocks, communal gardens, adaptable apartments and a strong focus on environmental performance.

A New Model for Affordable Housing in Ibiza?

Sa Casa stands out because it combines several ideas rarely associated with conventional affordable housing in one project.

The homes will be publicly supported rental accommodation, but the buildings are designed around high levels of prefabrication, modularity, greenery and climate-responsive architecture.

For an island dealing simultaneously with a housing shortage, high construction costs, limited land and environmental pressure, that combination could prove particularly important.

The project is still at the development stage, so its ultimate impact cannot yet be measured.

But with Stefano Boeri Architetti now responsible for the design of the Ca n'Escandell homes, Ibiza is set to gain a distinctive new public housing development that places affordability, adaptability and Mediterranean landscape at the heart of its architecture.

Sa Casa is not simply another residential project for Ibiza. It is an attempt to rethink what affordable housing on the island can look like, and how public homes can be designed for the people who will live in them for decades to come.