Balearic Islands, Spain
About this story
The 2026 OBEL Award has gone to the Balearic Social Housing Model developed by economist and former IBAVI managing director Cris Ballester and architect and public servant Carles Oliver. The six-part model treats public housing as an interconnected system of procurement, architecture, materials, energy, tenure, institutional capacity and continuous learning. It was developed in response to severe housing pressure and a limited public-rental stock, aiming to increase delivery without sacrificing architectural, environmental or social quality. The model is recognized under OBEL's 2026 Systems' Hack focus, which asks how architecture can reshape the systems underlying the built environment.
Status and timeline
Award announced September 1, 2026. The recognized housing model was developed between 2019 and 2023 through the Balearic Housing Institute.
Design highlights
Architecture as public administration and systems design; procurement reform; local and lower-carbon materials; passive environmental strategies; public rental tenure; institutional learning; design quality treated as social infrastructure.
