Paradigms of Social Housing in Buenos Aires. Lessons from Juan XXIII

Abstract

The housing deficit in Buenos Aires exceeds 143,000 dwellings. Fortunately, the city has ninety years of social housing experience to draw research from. Does this problem require new ideas or can it be studied from the existing examples? The essay proposes a quick overview of ten housing projects that were built in the 20th century and that represent different models of collective housing. One of them, Juan xxiii Complex — absent in the historical revisions — stands out for its design, size and integrated vision of the community. Architects and students committed to the city and its housing deficit should study this unpublished project.