The Corten House
![](https://minimalissimo.com/media/pages/articles/7/the-corten-house/3ac83c4912-1679928596/the-corten-house-1-600x-q60.jpg)
While minimalist designs can be applied to luxurious commodities, responsible designs are what draw my attention.
Located in Tadjoura, Djibouti, SOS Children’s Village, designed by Urko Sánchez Architects, is a housing complex completed in 2014. Overlooking the whole entity of these houses, their formation and typology might remind one of Santorini, Greece, but in an earthier tone of colour and a more angular geometry. With the purpose of creating a safe environment for children, having public and private space clearly defined, and publishing a network of communal green space, the designers hope to strengthen the inhabitants’ collective value.
Although the minimal result might seem effortless, its detailed attention to placements and arrangements had a complex relationship with sun shading and natural ventilation. These scientific studies had also produced a series of alleyways to further create interstitial spaces for different activities.
Behind this amazing project is a team of people with diverse backgrounds and professions, whose passions for humanitarian aid helped heighten the dwellers’ quality of life. I completely love how projects like SOS Children’s Village have opened a new view to minimalism as a whole.
Photos courtesy of Javier Callejas.
A printed visual exploration of built environments within the spectrum of minimalism in 232 pages