EDDEA’s Casa Forestier residential building wins recognition from the COAS in the 2021 Architecture and Society Awards

The Casa Forestier residential building, designed by the EDDEA team, has received an award from the Official College of Architects of Seville (COAS) in the 2021 edition of its Architecture and Society Awards (Premios Arquitectura y Sociedad). Developed by Vía Célere, the complex comprises a total of 87 apartments and stands at one of the corners of the San Bernardo neighbourhood in the Andalusian capital.

The building, which received a commendation in the ‘New-Build Architecture. Multi-Family Residential Use’ category, takes its name from Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier, the French architect and landscape designer who worked on areas such as the Parque de María Luisa and the Avenida de la Palmera in the early twentieth century, leaving a mark on the city plan that is still evident today.

The layout of this EDDEA project, developed in collaboration with FAU Arquitectos, “puts the communal areas at the centre, as it is organised around an inner garden that shapes a residential block and keeps the character of a traditional San Bernardo courtyard, but at a much smaller scale”, notes Luis Ybarra, partner and founder of the studio.

“In addition”, he adds, “the scheme was designed with double-bay apartments, laid out in two rows with mirrored plans, ranging from three to five bedrooms. They are generous, and can be personalised both in their layout and in their finishes.”

Adding value

“The aim has been to add value to the area and to further inspire and dignify its surroundings through a proposal of great functional, architectural and aesthetic quality”, says Luis Ybarra.

The COAS awards seek to recognise the professional quality of Seville’s architects and to promote architecture as a tool for improving people’s lives. They underline their openness to society by recognising, alongside the architect, the client or developer of the winning works, as well as the building surveyor and the contractor where applicable, in recognition of the value of teamwork.

This edition recognised a total of 26 architectural works across nine categories, as well as seven Special Awards and 12 Career Excellence Awards for architects who have been mentors to the profession.