Rebel Architecture & Can Batllo

One of the recommended films this week was Al Jazeera's Rebel Architecture: Guerrilla Architect. The film followed Santiago Cirugeda and his various projects in Spain to help the communities in need while combatting the governments' building policies. Many if not all of the projects featured were built illegally and the film focuses on the fact that even though Santiago's role is not a glamorous one, it still had an impact on the communities he was designing for.

The projects in the film reminded me of Can Batllo in Barcelona, Spain. Can Batllo was a textile factory site that has now been converted into a makeshift community hub. The old factory buildings have been converted into a variety of programs including; a gym, brewery, library, bar/performance space, and daycare. All of these spaces were made by the local community. They used whatever products that were available to them to create the spaces they needed. The picture below is of the bar/performance space, taken from the tiered stage. 

The main difference between the projects in the film and Can Batllo is the fact that Can Batllo is a legal sanctioned location for the community to "own" and do what they please. When I visited Can Batllo, I was impressed with how much pride and ownership the community had for what they had created. The local youth had a place to go to play, build, etc. what they wanted and it gave them a sense of belonging. I know that we have design build projects in the states, but do you think we could ever have a community space like Can Batllo? Obviously there is the problem of regulations and codes that wouldn't allow this sort of activity to take place here, but without all that would it be successful?