Civil Engineering and Architecture Vol. 13(5), pp. 4082 - 4097
DOI: 10.13189/cea.2025.130544
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Reevaluating Social Sustainability in Social Housing: Lessons from Post-War Blocks and the Bouça Housing Model

Mohammed Itma ^*
Department of Architectural Engineering, An-Najah National University, Palestine

ABSTRACT

Housing blocks are among the most popular types used in modern architecture to design social housing. However, it received much criticism in Europe regarding the social aspects of post-war housing. This study aims to gain a deep understanding of the social aspects of designing post-war blocks in Europe, focusing on the potential of medium-rise blocks, such as Bouça housing by Álvaro Siza, in comparison to globally remarkable high-density blocks. The main question is, to what extent could the design of this type consider the necessary aspects of social Sustainability, such as privacy, adaptability, and social contact? This study employs site visit observation, literature search, and architectural analysis of the Bouça housing, comparing it to the Unité d'Habitation and Robin Hood Gardens. The comparison between the three cases has provided a deeper understanding of the ideas for interconnecting housing units to achieve social cohesion. The study's main conclusion is that Bouça Social Housing can be considered a pilot project due to its sensitivity to social aspects, compared to other cases. Thus, through the comparison with Unité d'Habitation and Robin Hood Gardens, it becomes evident that Álvaro Siza proposed an alternative to high-rise mass housing by developing compact, layered row housing that fosters shared spaces and ground-level activity. This approach reflects a distinctive contribution to post-modern social housing. Concepts of this case may be replicable and help provide new ideas for future social housing design.

KEYWORDS
Housing Blocks, Sustainable Development, Privacy, Social Contact, Adaptability

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Mohammed Itma , "Reevaluating Social Sustainability in Social Housing: Lessons from Post-War Blocks and the Bouça Housing Model," Civil Engineering and Architecture, Vol. 13, No. 5, pp. 4082 - 4097, 2025. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2025.130544.

(b). APA Format:
Mohammed Itma (2025). Reevaluating Social Sustainability in Social Housing: Lessons from Post-War Blocks and the Bouça Housing Model. Civil Engineering and Architecture, 13(5), 4082 - 4097. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2025.130544.