Gonzalo Bernardos has criticized the criteria with which some officially protected housing is designed. The economist considers that the administrations allow architects to make decisions that a private developer would not accept and has resorted to complaints about the air conditioning of public apartments in Barcelona to illustrate his position.
Your comment in X begins with the appearance of these estate. “VPO buildings are often easy to spot when you walk down the street,” he writes. He himself raises the question of why it happens and offers his explanation. “Because the public sector lets the architect enjoy and do experiments that a developer would never let him do,” he maintains.
Bernardos continues the argument in a second publication, where he talks about the difficulties that those who settle in these homes may encounter. “A few times the architect wins a prize, but those who live in them complain about the air conditioning, the quality of the finishes, poor acoustic insulation or the rapid deterioration of the facilities”he states.
Bernardos’ criticism of public projects
He economist He directs his reproach both to the projects and to the administration that commissions them. In his opinion, the public sector grants a freedom that would have no place in a private promotion. In his message he links this way of working with subsequent complaints from residents about issues that affect the daily use of the home.
Air conditioning is one of them, although Bernardos also mentions noise, finishes and maintenance. Your reference to the awards is part of that general criticism. The thread does not identify an award or a specific architect. To support his argument, he links to information about residents of Barcelona who have spent the summer with breakdowns in their cooling systems.
Complaints about the heat reach the City Council
The air conditioning difficulties have also reached the Housing Commission of Barcelona City Council. In the session of September 15, Jordi Valls, municipal head of Housing and IMHAB, apologized to the affected neighbors of the developments of Illa Glòries, Porta Trinitat and Illa F de Torre Baró.
Valls announced that energy audits had been commissioned in the three developments. During his speech he pointed out that the aerothermal systems They require proper calibration and some users also find it difficult to use them.
For its part, the Municipal Institute of Housing and Rehabilitation of Barcelona maintains that it addresses incidents and works on updating air conditioning and improving the insulation and ventilation of its buildings. Neighborhood complaints include both the lack of cooling and the electrical expense involved in trying to maintain a bearable temperature.
Bernardos uses these complaints to question the decisions that precede the delivery of public housing. While the facilities are being reviewed, Neighbors claim that their houses can be cooled without having to resort to additional equipment to compensate for failures of the installed system.