On 3 November, GiDomus had the opportunity to visit the community of Barri de Canaleta, in Banyoles, thanks to its president, Ester, and Més Comunitat, the property managers responsible for the community.
The aim of the visit was to gain first-hand insight into the condition of the buildings and identify how we can help the community improve them in different areas: accessibility, safety, comfort and energy efficiency.
During the visit, some common issues affecting blocks of flats built in the early 1970s could be identified. One of the most evident is the lack of accessibility. As the years go by, many residents experience mobility difficulties, and buildings without lifts or ramps can become a significant barrier to continuing to live at home independently.
Damp is another issue that requires appropriate action. Covering it up, painting over it or using dehumidifiers may temporarily alleviate its effects, but it does not solve the underlying problem. It is necessary to understand where it comes from and develop solutions that address its causes.
And then there is comfort. Cold in winter and excessive heat in summer, particularly in homes on the upper floors. These are direct consequences of buildings constructed at a time when regulations did not yet require the levels of insulation and energy efficiency that we consider essential today.
But if there is one thing we take away from the visit, it is that we have found ourselves in a community keen to solve its problems and do so collectively.
The Barri de Canaleta community comprises 13 buildings, each with 8 homes, which share very similar challenges. Precisely for this reason, many of the potential solutions can also be explored collectively, making the most of economies of scale and a comprehensive approach to the entire complex.
And there is another aspect that particularly caught our attention: solidarity between neighbours and stairwells. Who would be willing to cover part of the cost of another stairwell's electricity connection? Probably only a community that understands that one building may need help today, and that tomorrow it could be its own stairwell that needs support from the others.
This way of understanding community is undoubtedly a very good starting point for undertaking future renovation.
And before leaving, one final recommendation: don't miss the large mural covering one of the neighbourhood's façades. The artwork, created by artist Roc Blackblock with the collaboration of students from INS Josep Brugulat, is based on an old photograph of the neighbourhood and helps preserve the memory of Barri de Canaleta.
This initiative is part of the GiDomus pilot for multi-family residential buildings, through which we support homeowners' communities throughout the renovation process, helping them find solutions and the resources they need to move towards more accessible, comfortable, healthy and energy-efficient buildings.