Old New Construction - Risky Conversations on Housing

Barcelona is undergoing a transformative process of "Manhattanisation": a growing influx of visitors and residents from all over the world; rising land prices in the central areas; gentrification of the most attractive neighbourhoods...

From the residential point of view, we are witnessing the displacement of the local population to the periphery - "centrifugation"-; the colonisation of the centre by foreign residents and investors; the consolidation of a residential segment of the highest standing and, at the same time, a the rental craze per room - with a historical imbalance between supply and demand - which affects the young and the not-so-young.

At one extreme, some new entrants successfully explore "guerrilla promotion" solutions (FHAUS, The House on the Roof); on the other hand, others are planning cooperative housing on a leasehold basis (Can Batlló) or shared housing developments for renting by rooms (Roombeo). In between, the usual developers.

At Monapart we want to contribute to this reflection in a creative and provocative way, for which we have devised a series of debates entitled Speakeasy: Risky Conversations on Housing specifically designed for the group of developers, architects and other professionals linked to the world of housing, the first edition of which is being held in Barcelona, with the plan to repeat it in all the cities where Monapart is present: Alicante, Girona, Madrid, Palma, Tarragona and Valencia.

At this point, a brief clarifying interruption is useful: A speakeasy was "an establishment that illegally sold alcoholic beverages during the historical period in the United States (and Canada) known as Prohibition (1920-1932, longer in some states). During this time, the sale, manufacture and transportation of alcoholic beverages were illegal. The etymological origin of the word refers to the way a regular patron would order an alcoholic beverage without arousing suspicion: bartenders would tell regulars to be quiet and "speak easy"; or perhaps to the ability of regulars to talk about alcohol without fearing that government police were listening." (Wikipedia)

A debate is therefore proposed in relation to a city (Barcelona), a historical moment, a new client and the housing that must respond to all of this.

Some questions that may help to better understand the ambition and scope of the debate could be the following:

• Is Barcelona experiencing a moment of extraordinary change?
• Developers, consultants, architects... do they know what the current resident/homebuyer is looking for? Is it "business as usual"?
• What are the archetypes of urban residents (beyond singles-couples-families)?
• What tools do developers have to conceptualise their developments and match them as closely as possible to demand?
• What can the world of promotion learn from the world of retail when it comes to designing spaces?
• Why don't promoters do more sophisticated consumer research?
• What influence is foreign demand exerting on promotion projects?
• Should AirBnB, room rentals or (holiday) home exchange make us think about housing differently?
• What trends in domestic design and architecture are being identified?
• Is the habitability regulation a limitation or an alibi?
• Why is there more innovation in public housing than in private development?
• Should developers have an innovation department, could it be architects, and what should architects do differently to regain lost professional legitimacy and prestige?
• Do architects innovate (from rigour) or invent (from originality)?
• Is it clear to everyone that housing is a commodity?
• Where is housing in Barcelona heading?
• …

In this first edition, and with the aim of searching for strange bedfellows without detracting from the objective of the debate, we will be accompanied by Borja Martín (@borjamart), managing director of Salvetti & Llombart, an international strategic consultancy specialising in market research; Ferran Marsà, managing director of The Golden Keya leading property development company in Catalonia since 1945; Gracia Cardonapresident of ADIFAD and founding owner of DiarioDesignpossibly the most relevant on-line design, interior design and architecture magazine in the country; and Lucía Ferrater, co-founding partner of OAB-Office of Architecture in Barcelonaone of the most internationally renowned architectural firms with extensive experience in residential projects for the private sector.

We will, for once, let the usual speakers who monopolise - but are not to blame for it - the real estate debate attend as spectators if they so wish or stay at home if they cannot bear the thought of not being able to raise your voice…

* If you are a promoter, please consult our service of New Build Consultancy and find out how we can help you get the most out of your promotions.

Monapart Barcelona is launching the first edition of Speakeasy, a series of risky conversations on housing, bringing together architects, developers, investors and other experts linked to the world of housing to talk about the enormous real estate challenges facing Barcelona. Are we ready?