A groundbreaking social housing development has emerged in Barcelona's historic Bon Pastor neighborhood, where three architectural firms have collaborated to create 'DE PEUS A TERRA i el cap pels núvols' (Feet on the Ground and Head in the Clouds). The innovative project, designed by Miel Arquitectos, MARMOLBRAVO, and MADhel, delivers 50 affordable housing units that celebrate community living while carefully addressing domestic needs in one of the city's most significant urban transformation areas.

The new seven-story building, featuring a ground floor plus six additional levels, represents a dramatic shift from the neighborhood's original housing typology. Built on an 8-square-meter footprint and completed in 2025, the project incorporates high-quality materials and systems including Cerámicas Ferrés ceramics, Hörmann ET500 systems, Panasonic technology, Baumit's Sistema Sate Prosystem, and Technal Soleal 55/GY65 window systems. The development was commissioned by IMHAB and constructed by Vialser, representing a significant investment in affordable housing infrastructure.

The architectural design philosophy behind DE PEUS A TERRA combines practical common sense with passionate attention to community building. The project unapologetically celebrates collective living while maintaining careful consideration for individual domestic spaces. This approach reflects a contemporary understanding of social housing that goes beyond mere shelter provision to create environments that foster social interaction and community cohesion among residents.

The building forms part of an extensive transformation of the historic 'casas baratas de Bon Pastor' (cheap houses of Bon Pastor), a housing complex originally constructed to accommodate workers who came to Barcelona for the 1929 International Exposition. Since 2002, this complex of 784 single-story homes with interior courtyards has been systematically replaced by modern multi-family high-rise buildings. The original settlement served as temporary housing for the influx of laborers needed for the major international event, but over nearly a century, it evolved into a permanent neighborhood requiring comprehensive urban renewal.

The architectural teams approached this historic transformation with sensitivity to both the area's heritage and its future needs. The new building's design acknowledges the neighborhood's working-class roots while providing modern amenities and spatial configurations suited to contemporary urban living. The collaboration between the three firms brought together diverse expertise and perspectives, resulting in a design that balances individual privacy with communal spaces and activities.

Photographer Jose Hevia documented the completed project, capturing how the building integrates into the transformed streetscape while maintaining its distinct architectural identity. The building's facade treatment and material choices reflect both durability and aesthetic appeal, important considerations for long-term social housing that must serve residents effectively for decades to come. The project demonstrates how thoughtful design can elevate affordable housing beyond basic accommodation to create environments that residents can take pride in calling home.

This development represents broader trends in European social housing, where architects and planners are reconsidering how affordable housing can contribute positively to urban fabric and community life. The success of DE PEUS A TERRA may influence future social housing projects not only in Barcelona but throughout Spain and beyond, demonstrating that budget constraints need not compromise architectural quality or community-building potential.