AIR CASMARLES Project is located in an old house built by the Marles Vinyes family in the 1850’s. The house is situated in the middle of Llorenc del Penedes a 2000 inhabitant village 50km south of Barcelona in a region famous for the production of wine, cava and olive oil called El Penedes. Beside its traditional rural characteristics, Llorenc has suffered and engaged what has been called ’the globalization process’. Although Llorenc hasn’t been victim of mass tourism and property development, the village is immersed in a deep transformation of its basic economic and cultural structure. These transformations are due to on one hand immigration not only from the rest of Spain but also from Rumania and specially Morroco, and on the other hand the diversification of its industry. During the last 5 years the village have seen the development of large private and public infrastructures as well as the construction of new neighbourhoods some times in direct contradiction with the interest of the old inhabitants. Llorenc del Penedes could then be taken as a good example of the ambiguous consequences of globalization, a changing prototype of what has been happening around the region and most rural areas of occidental Europe. It is in this context that CASAMARLES develops and it is to this process that CASAMARLES will try to react.
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The Old Village

The Old Village
View of the old village from the Carrer Major (Old Main Street)

Orchards and old houses.

Orchards and old houses.

Narrow Old Street

Narrow Old Street
Most of the houses in this area were becoming derelict or knocked down for new developments. In the last year, and thanks to the crisis in the building fever, this process has stopped and some houses are being refurbished. This is the case of Casamarles which is located nearby.

The New Urbanism

The New Urbanism
Second home residencies and the oversized Rambla

Urbanitzacio 'El Camp'

Urbanitzacio 'El Camp'
Some of the rural areas surrounding Llorenc del Penedes have been reevaluated in order to allow constructors to build. Most of the farmers in the area had no choice but to sell the land. This are the new houses built in what used to be a vineyard.

The disaster of the Building Fever

The disaster of the Building Fever
This is another new neighborhood. The greedyness of the constructors made of this land a new planing experiment. Again the crisis made that most of the houses in construction ended in permanent stand by and most of the other lots remain empty because nobody is able to buy them. Construction and corruption have been hand in hand for the past 10 years in Spain.

The Industrial area

The Industrial area
Together with the new neighborhoods, new industrial areas have mushroomed around the village as part of the CIM Project, the development of a huge warehouse area in El Penedes. This has been a typing point for the appearance of strategies of resistance by social movements and organisations (NO al CIM/POUM. Click on the image for a documentary on the subject, in catalan).

As in the old times.

As in the old times.
The construction of high buildings is not allowed in the village. Although the old church was bombed during the Civil War, as in the old times, the new Church (rebuild in the 40's) is still the highest building and dominates Llorenc del Penedes skyline.

Still green.

Still green.
Beside these developements Llorenc del Penedes still remains a rural village and is surrounded by vineyards and olive tree fields.

Vineyards

Vineyards
El Penedes is an area well know for its wine and cava. Every September all the farmers collect the grapes and bring them to the communal cooperative of the village where the wine is elaborated. In recent times there has been the development of a social movement called Vagueria Penedes. This movement aims at makeing a common front against urban speculation, and for the preservation of the Penedes ecosystem and regional unity. (Click on the photo to watch a documentary about it)

Wilderness.

Wilderness.
To the north of the village we find the Montmell Mountains that hide beautiful and quiet settings. Near the village there is another impressive natural reserve called Parc del Foix (click on the image for a documentary about it, in catalan). Looking south one can see the sea which is 10 km away. The sea site known as Costa Daurada (Golden Coast) is flooded by tourist during Summer. During this period the village of Llorenc though remains silent and peaceful. A quietness only disrupted by traditional festivities and some sporadic visitors.

La Placa del Lledoner.

La Placa del Lledoner.
This is 'La Placa del Lledoner' which is located at the end of the same street of Casamarles. This tree is a symbol of the village and in Summer its shadow is well appreciated by all the neighbors.