Regulatory Plan for Healthcare and Assistance Facilities
Special Urban Planning Plan for the Regulation of Equipment located at the corner of Alfons XII Street and Madrazo Street
The purpose of this special urban plan is the urban regulation of the parcel designated as a system of community equipment and current facilities, key 7 a, located at 49-51 Alfonso XII Street, at the corner with Madrazo Street, in the Sarriá-Sant Gervasi district of Barcelona. The special plan specifies the use allocation established by the current urban planning, organizes the buildable volumes, and regulates the equipment urbanistically.
The intended use is for healthcare-assistance facilities, specifically a private nursing home, with common care services, in accordance with the attached functional program that justifies the proposed volumetric arrangement.
Without a doubt, the pre-existing element of greatest value in the plot is the garden, as can be seen in the following images. Among the species of greatest uniqueness are several specimens of Phoenix dactylifera, two specimens of Phytolacca dioica, and a protected specimen of Jacaranda mimosifolia.
This situation is exacerbated by the presence near the Can Ferrer garden, where some similar species can be found, such as Casuarina stricta, Hedera helix, or Pittosporum tobira.
Precisely the preservation of the garden has been the element that has conditioned the morphotipological characteristics of the volumetry and urban parameters proposed in this Special Plan, an aspect that is further developed later, in section 2.4, on the justification of the proposed arrangement.
The main idea of the planning proposal is the result of the intention to preserve the existing garden. It is not an officially cataloged garden, but we consider it to have high environmental value, as also indicated in the Report on the plant elements affected by the building rubble project at property number 49 on Alfonso XII Street, dated October 25, 2011, with unique plant species such as Phytolacca dioica and its interrelation with the Can Ferrer garden on the other side of Alfonso XII Street, where another specimen of the same species is found, aspects that endow it with a relevance we consider non-negotiable.
- This garden represents not only a valuable element in itself but also provides numerous ecosystem benefits to the entire neighborhood. For example, it serves as a climate refuge during extreme heat waves, which will become increasingly frequent given the current climatic conditions.
- Despite its modest size, the uniqueness of some of the species it harbors is a source of ecological variability, with the consequent benefit for the preservation of biodiversity.
- From the perspective of cultural benefits, it undoubtedly represents an element of identity and environmental quality for the neighborhood.
Finally, for the residents who will inhabit an atypical residence like the one proposed, having a garden with this landscape quality is invaluable. Multiple studies support that gardened spaces provide countless benefits for people, and especially for the elderly in residences.
The building moves away from the corner of Madrazo and Alfonso XII streets to open up the view of the garden to these two streets. For the same purpose, it is also proposed to make a very open fence with the same typology as that of the Can Ferrer gardens, which will allow visibility and enjoyment of the garden for the entire neighborhood and city population.