Internationally recognised Italian architect Stefano Boeri is bringing his signature approach to green urban design to Ibiza with Sa Casa, a new affordable housing development planned for Ca n'Escandell.

Stefano Boeri Architetti has won the architectural competition organised by Spain's public housing entity Casa 47 for the project, which will provide approximately 190 affordable rental homes in four residential buildings.

The proposal combines prefabricated timber construction, flexible apartment layouts, extensive planting and shared communal spaces in an attempt to create a different model for public housing on the island.

The project is particularly significant given Ibiza's severe shortage of affordable accommodation and the continuing pressure on the local rental market.

A New Affordable Housing Project for Ibiza

Sa Casa is planned on a 5,505-square-metre plot within the wider Ca n'Escandell residential development on the outskirts of Ibiza Town.

The proposal includes approximately 190 homes intended for affordable rental rather than conventional open-market sales.

The apartments will be distributed across four separate residential volumes.

Rather than creating one continuous block, the buildings will be arranged around shared outdoor spaces, creating courtyards, pathways and a central green area.

The design is intended to connect the homes with the surrounding landscape while providing residents with areas for social interaction.

The Competition Attracted 13 Proposals

Stefano Boeri Architetti's design was selected as the winner from 13 proposals submitted for the competition.

Casa 47, the state-owned public housing entity responsible for promoting accessible housing, launched the competition to find an architectural solution for the site.

The winning proposal stood out for its combination of modular construction, flexibility, communal areas and environmental strategies.

The selection also gives the project an international architectural profile at a time when affordable housing has become one of Ibiza's most pressing challenges.

Up to 197 Homes Planned on the Plot

The competition material refers to approximately 190 homes, while the underlying public procurement documentation provides for up to 197 protected homes for affordable rent on the Ca n'Escandell plot.

The final number will depend on the development of the architectural project and the technical requirements applied during the next stages.

Either figure represents a substantial addition to Ibiza's affordable rental stock.

The development is also part of a much larger public housing operation planned at Ca n'Escandell, which is expected to eventually provide more than 500 protected homes across the wider development.

Timber Will Be at the Heart of the Design

One of the most distinctive elements of Sa Casa is its construction system.

The buildings are designed around Cross-Laminated Timber, commonly known as CLT, a structural material made by bonding layers of timber together in alternating directions.

The system allows large structural components to be manufactured with a high degree of precision away from the construction site before being transported and assembled.

This approach is intended to reduce construction time, material waste and disruption during the building process.

It also forms part of the project's broader environmental strategy.

What Is Cross-Laminated Timber?

CLT has become increasingly popular in contemporary architecture as an alternative to some conventional structural systems.

The timber panels are manufactured in controlled conditions and can then be assembled relatively quickly on site.

Because the components are prefabricated, architects can work with a high degree of dimensional precision.

For Sa Casa, the use of CLT is not simply a material choice.

The modular system is intended to influence the internal layout of the apartments and allow parts of the homes to be adapted over time.

Homes Designed to Change With Residents

Flexibility is another central idea behind the project.

The architects propose modular apartment layouts that can be reconfigured as household needs change.

The concept is intended to accommodate different types of residents, including young people, families, older residents and people with reduced mobility.

That could allow the same housing stock to respond to changing circumstances rather than assuming that every household will require the same configuration indefinitely.

It is a significant idea for public housing, where adaptability can help buildings remain useful for longer periods.

Four Buildings Rather Than One Large Block

The four-volume design is intended to soften the scale of the development.

Instead of forming a single large residential mass, the buildings are separated by shared courtyards, pathways and landscaped areas.

The central green space becomes a key organising element.

This arrangement also creates visual connections between different parts of the development and allows more natural light and air to reach the residential areas.

A Green Centre for the Community

The landscaping is not treated simply as decoration.

Native Mediterranean vegetation will be incorporated throughout the open spaces and onto parts of the buildings.

According to the project team, the planting is intended to provide shade, create habitats, improve air quality and help reduce the urban heat-island effect.

The green areas will also provide communal spaces where residents can spend time outside their homes.

The result is intended to be closer to a small residential neighbourhood than a conventional apartment complex.

Green Roofs Will Add Another Layer

Vegetation will extend onto the roofs of the buildings as part of the environmental design.

Green roofs can help shade exposed surfaces and moderate temperatures while contributing to biodiversity.

In Ibiza's Mediterranean climate, reducing heat gain is particularly relevant during the summer months.

The combination of roof planting, building orientation and natural ventilation forms part of the strategy for creating more comfortable homes without relying entirely on mechanical cooling.

Natural Ventilation Is Built Into the Design

The orientation of the four buildings has been planned to encourage natural airflow.

Cross ventilation can help move warm air through apartments and introduce cooler outdoor air when conditions allow.

For Ibiza, where summer temperatures can be high, passive cooling strategies can reduce dependence on air conditioning.

The architects have therefore incorporated climate response into the architecture itself rather than treating environmental performance solely as an equipment issue.

Solar Panels Will Generate Renewable Energy

Photovoltaic panels are also included in the proposal.

The panels are intended to generate renewable electricity for the development and reduce dependence on energy from conventional sources.

Combined with the building orientation, vegetation and passive ventilation strategies, the photovoltaic system is part of a broader attempt to reduce the environmental impact of the project.

The aim is to make sustainability a fundamental component of the development rather than an additional feature.

Water Management Forms Part of the Plan

Water is another important consideration in the Sa Casa proposal.

The project includes water-management measures designed to reduce consumption and improve efficiency.

Rainwater collection and greywater reuse are incorporated into the environmental strategy described by the project team.

That is particularly relevant in Ibiza, where water resources face significant pressure during the tourist season and periods of drought.

Using water more efficiently is therefore an important consideration for any large residential development on the island.

Shared Workspaces and Communal Areas

The project also moves beyond the traditional model of an apartment building consisting entirely of private homes.

Shared workspaces and communal areas are planned within the development.

These spaces are intended to support interaction between residents and provide alternatives to working or spending all of one's time inside an individual apartment.

The flexibility of the modular system is also intended to allow some shared areas to change according to the needs of the community.

Designing for Different Generations

The proposed range of housing types reflects the changing needs of Ibiza's population.

The architects have considered younger residents, families, older people and people with reduced mobility.

This multi-generational approach is particularly relevant to affordable housing, where the demand comes from households with very different circumstances.

Rather than designing exclusively around one target group, Sa Casa aims to create a more diverse residential community.

An Accessible Housing Model

Accessibility is incorporated into the proposal from the design stage.

The project includes housing configurations suitable for people with reduced mobility.

This approach is important because adapting a building after construction can be considerably more complicated than incorporating accessibility into the original design.

The flexible layout is also intended to make the homes more adaptable as residents' needs change.

The Bigger Ca n'Escandell Development

Sa Casa is only one piece of the broader Ca n'Escandell residential operation.

The area is being developed as a major public housing district on the edge of Ibiza Town, with more than 500 protected homes planned across different plots.

That makes the area one of the most important sources of new public and affordable housing for Ibiza.

The Boeri project therefore forms part of a much wider attempt to increase the supply of homes available outside the open market.

Affordable Rental Housing Is the Focus

The homes in Sa Casa are planned as protected housing for affordable rent.

That distinction matters in Ibiza's current housing market.

Buying a home remains out of reach for many residents, while rental prices have increased significantly as demand from residents, seasonal workers and other groups competes for a limited supply.

Adding protected rental homes could therefore provide an alternative for households unable to compete in the private market.

The project is designed specifically around that need.

A €1.23 Million Architectural Contract

Stefano Boeri Architetti has also been awarded the contract to prepare the building project and direct the future works.

The public procurement records give the value of the architectural and project-management contract as €1,232,414 excluding VAT, or approximately €1.49 million including VAT.

The contract has a planned duration of 50 months.

That period covers the preparation and development of the project and the direction of the future construction works.

It does not mean that the homes themselves will take exactly 50 months to build.

Winning the Competition Does Not Mean the Homes Are Ready

The announcement represents a major step, but Sa Casa is still an ongoing project.

The architectural competition has been resolved and the design team appointed, but additional technical, administrative and construction stages remain before the homes can be occupied.

Planning, detailed project development, procurement and construction all need to progress.

The eventual completion date will therefore depend on how those stages advance.

Stefano Boeri's Green Architecture Comes to Ibiza

Boeri is internationally known for projects that integrate architecture and vegetation.

His most famous work, Bosco Verticale in Milan, became a global reference for combining residential buildings with extensive planting.

His practice has subsequently applied similar ideas to projects in different urban contexts.

Sa Casa represents a different interpretation of that philosophy.

Instead of inserting large numbers of trees into high-rise façades, the Ibiza project uses low-rise residential buildings, communal gardens, planted roofs and Mediterranean vegetation.

The emphasis is on creating a green housing neighbourhood rather than a vertical forest.

Green Design for Affordable Housing

That distinction is important.

Boeri has previously argued through his work that access to greenery should not be restricted to luxury housing.

His affordable housing projects have attempted to combine social accessibility with high environmental quality.

Sa Casa continues that approach, proposing a public rental development where greenery, communal spaces and environmental performance are integrated from the beginning.

For Ibiza, that could provide a different model from the high-value residential projects that dominate much of the island's private development.

A New Approach to the Housing Crisis

Ibiza's housing shortage has become one of the island's biggest social and economic problems.

Workers often face a difficult combination of high rents, limited availability and seasonal employment.

The shortage also creates challenges for businesses, which can struggle to recruit staff who cannot find accommodation at sustainable prices.

Public housing cannot solve the problem alone, but large developments such as Ca n'Escandell could make a meaningful contribution to the supply of homes accessible to local residents.

190 Homes Can Make a Difference

On its own, around 190 homes may seem modest compared with the overall scale of Ibiza's housing shortage.

But protected rental properties have a particular significance because they remain outside the speculative open market.

They can provide longer-term housing opportunities for people who might otherwise struggle to remain on the island.

When combined with the other plots planned at Ca n'Escandell, the overall effect becomes considerably more substantial.

The Challenge Will Be Delivery

The success of Sa Casa will ultimately depend on implementation.

The design is ambitious, combining timber construction, modularity, renewable energy, water efficiency and extensive planting.

But affordable housing projects still face the same practical challenges as other major developments, including planning, procurement, financing, construction and delivery.

The most important milestone will therefore be when the design moves from architectural renderings into physical construction.

A Different Construction Model for Ibiza

The use of prefabricated CLT could also have implications beyond this individual project.

Ibiza has limited land availability and high construction costs.

Traditional building processes can be slow and labour-intensive.

Prefabrication offers the possibility of manufacturing components in controlled environments and reducing the amount of work required on site.

For a dense housing project, that could help shorten some construction phases while reducing waste.

The actual performance and timeline will depend on the detailed engineering and procurement process.

Four Volumes, One Community

The architectural concept ultimately revolves around the relationship between the four buildings.

The spaces between them are not treated as leftover areas.

They are designed as active communal spaces containing vegetation, pathways, courtyards and areas for residents to gather.

This creates a transition between the private apartment and the wider neighbourhood.

The intention is to make community life part of the architecture rather than something that happens only after the buildings are completed.

Ibiza's Climate Influences the Architecture

The Mediterranean climate is another major factor in the design.

Shading, natural ventilation, planting and building orientation are all intended to respond to Ibiza's long, hot summers.

The strategy is based on reducing heat gain before relying on mechanical systems.

Deep outdoor spaces and vegetation can also provide additional areas of shade, giving residents places to spend time outside during hotter periods.

A Contemporary Interpretation of Mediterranean Housing

The project also seeks to respond to its location rather than simply importing a generic international housing model.

The use of native vegetation and climate-responsive design connects the development to Ibiza's environment.

The architecture combines contemporary modular construction with outdoor communal spaces appropriate to Mediterranean living.

That could help the project feel more connected to the island while still using modern construction technology.

A Major Name Enters Ibiza's Housing Debate

Stefano Boeri's involvement brings considerable international attention to Ca n'Escandell.

The project demonstrates that affordable housing can be an opportunity for architectural experimentation rather than simply a question of providing the maximum possible number of units at the lowest possible cost.

The challenge now will be to preserve the qualities of the winning design as the project passes through the practical stages required to make it a reality.

What Happens Next

With the competition decided and the architectural contract awarded, the next stage is the preparation and development of the detailed project.

Stefano Boeri Architetti will work on the building project and future works direction, together with the local team supporting the project.

Technical studies, planning procedures and construction preparation will follow.

Only after those stages are completed will the development move towards the physical construction of the homes.

A New Chapter for Ca n'Escandell

Ca n'Escandell is becoming one of the most important public housing developments in Ibiza.

The addition of Sa Casa gives the broader project a distinctive architectural identity while adding approximately 190 affordable rental homes to the planned supply.

The use of timber, modular construction and extensive greenery makes the proposal particularly unusual for Ibiza.

It is also arriving at a moment when the island urgently needs more housing for residents.

Sa Casa Brings Green Architecture to Affordable Housing

The winning Sa Casa proposal offers Ibiza something unusual: a major affordable housing development conceived around both social needs and environmental design.

Approximately 190 homes will be distributed across four timber buildings, with communal gardens, native vegetation, flexible apartments, shared spaces, photovoltaic panels and water-management systems forming part of the concept.

The project is not yet built, and significant administrative and construction stages remain.

But its selection from 13 competition proposals marks an important step forward.

For an island where finding an affordable place to live has become increasingly difficult, the arrival of a large protected rental development designed by one of Europe's best-known contemporary architects is significant.

The real test will come next: turning Sa Casa from an ambitious architectural vision into homes where people living and working in Ibiza can actually build their lives.