Incremental housing

Villa Verde Housing

An incremental housing neighbourhood designed to grow with its residents over time.

Initial Villa Verde housing unit before resident expansion — Image courtesy of ELEMENTAL. Photography: Felipe Díaz Contardo

Villa Verde housing unit with resident-led expansion — Image courtesy of ELEMENTAL. Photography: Felipe Díaz Contardo

Resident extensions at Villa Verde Housing — Image courtesy of ELEMENTAL

Expanded homes at Villa Verde Housing — Image courtesy of ELEMENTAL

Resident-adapted Villa Verde homes in Constitución — Image courtesy of ELEMENTAL

Rows of Villa Verde incremental housing in Constitución — Image courtesy of ELEMENTAL

Presentation image of Villa Verde Housing by ELEMENTAL — Image courtesy of ELEMENTAL

Overview

Villa Verde Housing is an incremental housing project in Constitución by ELEMENTAL. Developed for employees of the Arauco forestry company, it builds on the principles first explored in Quinta Monroy by providing a larger initial home that residents can gradually expand as their families and circumstances change.

Why it matters

Villa Verde shows that incremental housing can work beyond a single pilot project. Each home provides a complete structural framework, core services, and space for future extensions, allowing residents to increase the size of their homes over time without compromising the overall neighbourhood.

The project demonstrates how housing can be designed for long-term change, treating future adaptation as an integral part of the original architecture rather than an afterthought.

Image credit

Images courtesy of ELEMENTAL