Un ejemplo de vivienda colectiva regenerable: La casa-cuartel de la guardia civil.

Abstract

La casa-cuartel de la Guardia Civil es un ejemplo de convivencia colectivista que se compone de un programa residencial integrado con espacios laborales. Debido a que una de las etapas constructivas más importantes de su historia se produjo durante la dictadura franquista, sus viviendas se resolvieron bajo las diferentes normativas del INV. Esto ha provocado que las similitudes con las barriadas residenciales coetáneas sean muy destacadas: implantación periférica, formalización en bloques, resolución tipológica, aislamiento social e, incluso, disfuncionalidades en relación a la actual realidad social del país. Muchas de estas casas-cuartel se resolvieron, tras la Guerra Civil, como complejos cerrados en torno a patios centrales. Durante los años sesenta y setenta, los espacios libres colectivos perdieron su carácter de centralidad, aunque seguían presentes como zonas residuales dentro de la parcela. Especialmente desde 1980, estos complejos están experimentando una paulatina desafectación e incluso su demolición. En ciertos casos, el acuartelamiento se ofrece a otros propietarios, públicos o privados, para regenerarlos bajos nuevos usos. Se tomarán como referencia 83 casos repartidos por todo el país en los que se han ensayado diferentes tipos de reconversiones. Se pretende demostrar la gran versatilidad que poseen estas edificaciones para adaptarse a otras realidades, debido a sus características dimensionales y, sobre todo, a la presencia de los espacios libres. Los paralelismos con las barriadas residenciales obsoletas permiten la transferencia de experiencias con el fin de aportar nuevas ideas para su necesaria regeneración.

These barracks (casa-cuartel) serve both as residential barracks and police station or headquarters for the Civil Guard. Most of these barracks were built during Franco´s dictatorship in Spain, therefore they were designed following the regulations issued by the regime´s National Institute for Housing. The barracks are very similar to their contemporary civil residential areas, i.e. They were located in the periphery, they were structured as blocks of flats, they shared the same typological approach, social isolation and, even, dysfunctions about their adaptation to the current social situation in Spain. Many of these barracks were designed during the 40s and 50s as enclosed areas, structured around large courtyards. During the 60s and 70s, the open communal areas ceased to be used as central spaces but they were still present as residual spaces within the plot of land. Since the 80s the use of these barracks has gradually changed and in some towns they have been demolished. In some cases, the state-owned barracks were offered to new owners, either private or public, to reclaim them for new uses. This research will show the different types of reclamation projects, analysing how the new use of the building has been integrated into the old barracks. Thus, the intention is to demonstrate the great versatily that these buildings have when it comes to adapting them to other realities, due to their dimensional characteristics and, above all, to the presence of free spaces. The similarities with obsolete residential neighbourhoods allow experiences to be shared for their necessary regeneration, providing new ideas that allow some features of these buildings.