International Lecture Series: The Balearic Social Housing Model

Denne forelæsning med økonom og bæredygtighedsekspert Cris Ballester og arkitekt Carles Oliver er en del af forelæsningsrækken 'International Lecture Series', hvor Det Kongelige Akademi - Arkitektur inviterer store internationale navne indenfor til en eftermiddag med fokus på væsentlige internationale temaer i arkitekturen.

The Balearic Social Housing Model is recognised for transforming the role of social housing administration in the Balearic Islands between 2019 and 2023.

Led at the time by a dynamic partnership between economist Cris Ballester Parets and architect Carles Oliver Barceló their focus for the model was - rather than treating housing as simply a question of building more homes - rethinking how public housing for vulnerable communities can be commissioned, procured, designed, built and inhabited.

By bringing together local materials, circular construction practices, climate-responsive design and new approaches to public procurement and project delivery, the model demonstrates how public institutions can become powerful drivers of environmental, social and economic innovation. A key driver was also the importance of providing high-quality housing for those often marginalised and pushed aside by systemic structures. 

Developed in response to an acute housing shortage and a critically limited public rental housing stock, Cris Ballester Parets and Carles Oliver will give a lecture on the model; how it was developed and how it seeks to increase the supply of public housing at both scale and speed without compromising architectural, environmental or social quality.

The model and its significance lies not in a particular building, material or architectural language, but in the way it connects public policy, architectural experimentation, environmental responsibility, local productive capacity, and dignified housing delivery as parts of one system. 

OBEL Award winner 2026

The OBEL Foundation has announced the Balearic Social Housing Model as the winner of the 2026 OBEL Award. The Jury sees the Balearic Social Housing Model as a powerful example of how systems can be transformed from within. By using public administration itself as a space for experimentation, the model demonstrates how public procurement, investment and management can become tools for systemic change.

Cris Ballester and Carles Oliver have chosen to dedicate part of the prize funds to expanding the international reach and future impact of the Balearic Social Housing Model, rather than receiving those funds personally. Carles Oliver has chosen to renounce his personal share of the prize fund in favor of supporting emergency housing initiatives in the Balearic Islands.  

About Cris Ballester

A Mallorcan economist and sustainability expert specialised in strategic management, social impact, and regenerative development, Cris is the former Managing Director of IBAVI and Director General of Housing and Architecture for the Balearic Government. She has led innovative approaches in social housing focused on affordability, local materials, and bioregional models. In 2024, she received the Royal Academy of Arts Architecture Award. She has also worked in international cooperation in India, alongside international experience across the hospitality and real estate sectors. 

About Carles Oliver

Carles Oliver is an architect from the Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSAB) with scholarships at UCLA in Los Angeles, TU Delft in the Netherlands and ETSAM in Madrid. As a student and young architect, he also collaborated with Carme Ribas and Pere Joan Ravetllat on collective housing projects. He was a member of IBAVI from 2009 and was the director of the “Life Reusing Posidonia” climate adaptation project (2015–2020) and Head of the Technical Department (2019–2023).