housing Archives

Revolutionizing Urban Living: MicroPolis Offers Affordable Housing Solutions in NYC’s Empty Spaces

MicroPolis – is a proposal for a new housing typology of micro-homes in metropolitan centers such as New York City. It can be installed in already built, empty urban spaces. The staggering of the units creates a push-and-pull relation, generating balconies for most units. Large public outdoor terraces provide social and co-working spaces and safe places for children to play. Installing these complexes in wealthier neighborhoods and business districts improves living standards for communities of color, immigrant groups, and low- to middle-income families.

Architizer chatted with Esther Sperber, Principal at Studio ST Architects to learn more about this project.

Architizer: What inspired the initial concept for your design?

Esther Sperber: MicroPolis is a response to a February 2020 court case that revoked the building permit for the top 20 floors of a Manhattan luxury condominium because it used gerrymandering-style tax lot assembly tactics to justify the request for a very tall building. We suggested that we should not waste these already built floors but rather use them for affordable housing. The aim is to present creative, inclusive and positive design solutions to the urban affordable housing crisis, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The prevalence of unoccupied and unusable space presents an opportunity to rethink affordable housing throughout the city.

This project won in the 10th Annual A+Awards! What do you believe are the standout components that made your project win?

The project is contextual and addresses New York City’s critical issues such as the housing crisis, diversity and inclusion, and lowering the carbon footprint in the construction industry. MicroPolis could help alleviate the affordable housing shortage, which we have a moral obligation to address. The design creates innovative, sustainable and affordable micro-homes within vacant floors of luxury buildings in metropolitan city centers. Cities have always embraced people from all kinds of diverse backgrounds, but the pandemic revealed that the city is more divided than we would like to acknowledge. MicroPolis celebrates NYC’s diversity by increasing equity and valuing the range of people needed to make the city thrive. Adding affordable housing units throughout the city’s higher-end neighborhoods aims to make NYC more integrated, resilient and equitable.

What was the greatest design challenge you faced during the project, and how did you navigate it?

We realize there will likely be resistance to this proposal. Few privileged communities welcome low- and middle- income developments in their neighborhoods, let alone their own apartment buildings. But if we have learned anything during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is that our society is deeply intertwined. The communities that suffered most from the pandemic are those that we depend on most to keep our city running. The same resistance to this project is reason enough to take this typology seriously. It is time to stop averting our gaze from those who are less fortunate economically and invite them to be our neighbors.

How did the context of your project — environmental, social or cultural — influence your design?

NYC’s real estate exposes the city’s socio-economic inequities. Manhattan’s luxury residential market seems to be rebounding. However, at the same time, the Department of Housing & Preservation, which is responsible for maintaining affordable housing, experienced a 40% cut during the pandemic, resulting in the loss of 21,000 affordable housing units. Our unique modular system, which aims to create greater social equity, consists of prefabricated, energy-efficient and cost-effective micro-homes, which can be installed in already built empty urban spaces. The proposal demonstrates how to creatively house key workers and other tenants in need by maximizing space on mid-level floors of currently unoccupied luxury condos, which some developers have designated as mechanical voids in an attempt to increase the height of luxury buildings and gain maximum value for coveted upper floor apartments.

How important was sustainability as a design criteria as you worked on this project?

The issue of sustainability was one of the main driving factors of MicroPolis’ design. Reusing built spaces has environmental advantages: it conserves materials and resources, lowers carbon footprint, and brings old, energy-inefficient buildings up to the current code. Carefully selected building materials and cladding ensure thermal insulation to lower energy use and costs for these micro-homes. MicroPolis is also uniquely designed to enable staggered balconies to provide some sun exposure and shade coverage during extreme weather conditions.

What key lesson did you learn in the process of conceiving the project?

The housing crisis in New York City, or any city for that matter, is a complex issue. With some of the world’s wealthiest residents, New York City is also home to thousands who do not have a clean, warm or dry place to sleep. The city is struggling to address its housing shortage for lower-income individuals and families, and to provide shelter to its 60,000-plus homeless. At the same time, New York City has a record number of empty, unsold, new luxury apartments. Unused space, particularly in tall luxury residential towers, can be reconfigured to accommodate more units dedicated to affordable housing within the existing floor area.

How do you believe this project represents you or your firm as a whole?

My firm, Studio ST Architects, strives to focus on sustainable, innovative and responsible design. Our firm combines unique expertise in architecture and psychology to design inspiring buildings and renovate spaces that transform human experiences, build deep and inclusive community connections, and create a sense of health and well-being. MicroPolis directly addresses these pillars of our practice.

How has being the recipient of an A+Award evoked positive responses from others?

It gave us an opportunity to think and explore issues around the multi-family residential typology, particularly within dense urban centers. This also helped us reach a larger audience to raise an issue we are passionate about, which led to more discussions with our clients and collaborators about responsible, compassionate design that addresses not only people’s basic need for housing, but also human connection.

How do you imagine this project influencing your work in the future?

Studio ST Architects has significant experience in apartment interior renovations and religious buildings, but we are excited to do more work in the multi-family residential sector. Our recently completed Jones Street multi-family apartment building holds a similar spirit of ambition to connect people and address the need for housing within Jersey City. Jones Street creates individual homes and a sense of community for the families and young professionals that live in this growing Jersey City community. It targets the swathe of families and young professionals looking for New York-style buildings just across the Hudson River. We hope to continue tackling the housing crisis by taking on more multi-family housing projects.

For more on MicroPolis, please visit the in-depth project page on Architizer.

MicroPolis Gallery

Reference

Sustainable News Zero Energy Homes

Calif. Embraces Passive House for Zero Carbon Multifamily Housing

By Zarkon Group,28/01/2023

The housing crisis in California is leaving thousands unsheltered and millions more with high rent burdens, threatening low-income communities, who are disproportionately people of color. Meanwhile, the climate crisis is causing wildfires, dangerous air quality, and widespread power shut-offs. A recent study funded by the California Public Utilities Commission highlights how Passive House (PH) design principles should be utilized in new construction to create zero carbon multifamily housing and contribute to more comfortable, healthy, and safe buildings for residents.

The Advancing Options for Decarbonization in Multifamily Buildings study developed by BluePoint Planning will inform the state’s zero-carbon program for new multifamily construction, and is designed to shape future California Energy codes (Title 24 part 6). The intention is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from multifamily buildings, promote occupant safety and comfort, and provide greater resilience in the face of climate change and extreme weather.

The study promotes deep energy efficiency practices and encourages market actors to go beyond code, by integrating ultra-efficient PH approaches in the design and construction of new zero carbon multifamily housing. Passive House design elements emphasize airtight construction, reduced thermal bridging, and passive daylighting, heating, and cooling as much as possible.

Why Passive House?

Building on stakeholders’ and technical advisors’ input, the study highlights that PH in multifamily buildings is cost-effective and is one of the best building sectors to focus on. PH buildings can use up to 80% less energy than existing standard construction, and 20% less energy than current California energy code. The PH model has been around for more than 40 years and can be applied to all building types—including multifamily residential and mixed-use commercial and multifamily. The technique has become popular throughout Europe, while gaining ground in the United States as well, with the square footage of PH buildings more than doubling every 2 years over the past decade. Today, there are more than 100 multifamily Passive House buildings in the US, equaling more than 2.7 million square feet; though there are few in California.

PH construction relies on a well-insulated building envelope that minimizes air leaks and thermal bridging, to create an ultra–energy-efficient building. Other elements such as double- and triple-paned, properly installed windows are also needed to achieve proper insulation. The resulting energy efficiency and reduction in demand is critical to meet California’s climate goals, to support the electrical grid, and to lower costs to ratepayers.

Building systems and beyond

Zero carbon multifamily buildings must be all-electric, utilizing efficient heat pump HVAC and heat pump water heaters. Note that the elimination of natural gas infrastructure helps reduce construction costs. Did you know that that plug loads consume 30% to 44% of whole building energy for multifamily buildings (depending on climate zone), because each unit has less space to be heated and cooled but still uses roughly the same number of appliances? Thus, highly efficient appliances will have high impact in reducing energy consumption. Consider induction cooktops, heat pump clothes dryers, and ENERGY STAR rated or other third-party certified microwaves, dishwashers, clothes washers, and refrigerators. In addition, the study requires that operation and management of multifamily buildings actively reduce emissions associated with energy use.

The study expands the discussion beyond the building’s systems and considers siting, connection to other buildings, and potential for scaled infrastructure. Proper site design, orientation to the sun, and site shading all affect the need for heating and cooling. When done correctly, these elements work in tandem with airtight insulation to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures with minimal active heating and cooling.

Solar battery storage for resilience

Solar and storage are also critical elements to creating low carbon, resilient buildings. Once a multifamily building approaches ultra-low energy use intensity (EUI) targets, solar and storage must be integrated to help satisfy the building’s daily energy demands and to support basic electricity needs during a power outage. For multifamily properties, it’s essential to consider rooftop configurations and availability, and to enable siting solar over parking areas or other parts of the site. The decarbonization study also covers integration of electric charging stations and vehicle-to-grid technologies that can help to raise the overall benefits of a zero carbon building and its resilience.

Passive House design is known best as helping to create high-performing buildings and reducing energy use. However, key elements like insulation, energy efficient appliances, and solar with battery storage, can have invaluable resilience benefits in a world where climate change impacts are becoming more extreme and life-threatening.

Resilience and equity in zero carbon multifamily housing

The study considers equity as an essential principle, and advocates that PH buildings provide a durable sanctuary for residents in the face of disaster, extreme weather, or smoke from wildfires. (Durable sanctuary refers to a home or building that ensures a safe and healthy living space for its occupants both every day and during emergencies, including power outages for multiple days.) This is particularly important for disadvantaged populations who are more likely to have increased vulnerability to climate threats and are more likely to experience health complications from such an event.

One study showed that PH buildings can maintain a sufficient indoor temperature in the case of a power shut off in the extreme cold for over 6 days, compared to traditionally designed buildings, which only stay comfortable for about 1 day. The potential for Passive House as a resilience tool and mechanism to promote safety and potentially life-saving services in the face of disaster is ready to be realized.

Residents wal and socialize in courtyard of sustainable affordable housing development

The Advancing Options for Decarbonization in Multifamily Buildings study can be considered a reference point for where the housing industry in California is headed. As such, it can act as a tool for design and construction professionals in California to help align their industries towards Passive House standards and more climate-friendly and resilient multifamily buildings. This includes promoting and expanding relevant training, aligning energy modeling tools, and advocating for resilience standards and certifications in their projects.

Bianca Hutner has a background in climate policy advocacy and local government climate planning. At BluePoint Planning, she helps California local jurisdictions reduce emissions and promote resilience through climate planning efforts and assists in regional and statewide efforts to curb climate change and promote an energy-resilient future. Hutner is a co-author of the Multifamily Zero Carbon Action Plan for the California Public Utilities Commission.

Reference

Architecture

Planted balconies surround Stories housing in Amsterdam

By Zarkon Group,19/10/2022

Dutch studio Olaf Gipser Architects has worked with housing cooperative BSH20A to create an apartment block in the Netherlands that aims to provide residents with a “communal, sustainable and healthy urban living” environment.

Named Stories, the 47-metre-high tower contains 29 apartments and communal living spaces that overlook the harbour at the former industrial district Buiksloterham.

Stories housing from afar and the buildings that surround it — Stories is an apartment block created by Olaf Gipser Architects

Stories, which also features a community cafe and a terrace topped by an urban farm, is shortlisted in the housing project category of the Dezeen Awards 2022.

Olaf Gipser Architects worked with the BSH20A housing cooperative to ensure a “grassroots, democratic decision-making process” for the project, and to develop a design that is intended to be both socially and environmentally sustainable.

Housing block with planted balconies in Amsterdam — The exterior is wrapped in a steel frame

While Stories’ podium and core are made from concrete, the majority of the tower is built from cross-laminated timber (CLT).

The timber superstructure is wrapped in an external frame of white steel, which forms deep balconies and terraces.

Front elevation of Stories housing by Olaf Gipser Architects — The steel frame provides balconies for residents

Planters, some large enough to support trees, are placed across the exterior with the aim of encouraging greater biodiversity to the post-industrial site while also creating privacy screens for the apartments.

“Characteristic to the appearance of the building is its white, industrial-looking facade, conceived as a microclimate zone which grants extensive outdoor spaces in the form of balconies and winter gardens to all dwelling units,” said Olaf Gipser Architects.

“Integrated in the deep facade is also a communal roof for urban farming that is connected to the shared, multifunctional indoor space,” it continued.

Within Stories’ podium is a garage and six commercial units that create a new street frontage along the harbour’s edge. One of these units is currently occupied by a storytelling cafe offering a “social-cultural programme” for residents.

Detail image of the facade and balconies — Planters feature on the balconies

The apartments themselves vary in layout and in size, ranging from between 43 to 182 square metres. However, they all share access to a communal kitchen, gym and sauna.

According to the studio, the apartments follow “open building” principles, meaning changes in their future use can be easily made. For example, there are rooms with dedicated entrances that can function as home offices or be rented out separately.

Interior image of Dutch apartment — The apartments have wooden floors and white walls

Olaf Gipser Architects has finished the Stories apartments with wooden floors and ceilings and white walls to create open, airy spaces.

The larger apartments benefit from wrap-around balconies that allow external access from every room through glass sliding doors.

Balcony with tree planter — The tower overlooks the harbour at Buiksloterham

Alongside Stories, the shortlist for the housing project category in the Dezeen Awards 2022 includes a cluster of four apartments in Mexico by Void Studio and a self-funded apartment building in Melbourne by Austin Maynard Architects.

A cork-clad co-housing scheme in Belgium by OFFICEU also features on the list and was revealed on Monday as the category’s public vote winner.

The photography is by Max Hart Nibbrig.

Reference

Sustainable News Zero Energy Homes

Zero Accessory Dwelling Units: Low Income Housing that Works

By Zarkon Group,11/10/2022

We all know there is a considerable lack of affordable housing in the U.S. and that addressing it effectively has been challenging. Now that many states and municipalities are altering their zoning to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), there is a new opportunity to expand truly affordable rental housing – building low-cost zero energy ADUs – sometimes referred to as in-law apartments, garage apartments, attic apartments, tiny homes, or casitas. But how to make them truly affordable?

Small ADUs are Affordable

By their very nature, ADUs will cost less to rent because they are smaller, and building them uses fewer materials. This is even more likely in an above the garage, basement, or attic ADU where existing structural elements can be used. They also have no land costs because they are built on an existing lot or above an existing garage. And there are no landscaping costs other than restoring any construction disruption. Sewer, water, and electricity are close at hand. And, if they are zero energy ADUs, they will need no gas hook-up. More importantly, they will have no, or almost no, energy bills for their residents.

Zero Energy Bills

There are two legs to affordability. One is the rent – the other is the monthly utility bill. The second one is almost always overlooked when considering affordable housing, but high energy bills can play a devastating role in making an ADU rental unaffordable. Zero Energy ADUs solve that problem and offer a more truly affordable rental. The challenge is how to get to zero at least cost, so the rent can be kept low.

Cost Cutting Zero ADU Construction

The first step in low-cost zero energy construction is conducting energy modeling on the planned structure. Energy modeling will help select the lowest cost mix of energy-saving measures such as insulation and air sealing, energy-saving equipment, and solar. For example, energy modeling and price comparisons will quickly determine whether it is more cost-effective to use a heat pump water heater or add some additional panels and use a standard water heater – or whether to use insulation with a higher or lower u-value.

There are other potential savings related to the smaller size of an ADU. Windows are expensive. Locating them to optimize light and views, and eliminating or reducing them where they are not needed, may allow smaller glazed areas. Since mini splits can be ductless, there is no need for ductwork. Most ADUs can be heated and cooled with one small unit, which is quick and easy to install. Since heat pump HVAC systems should never be oversized, smaller ones are usually the best choice.

In small homes, such as ADUs, energy or heat recovery ventilation systems can be installed without ducts, using a Lunos e2 through-the-wall HRV or a Panasonic Whisper Quiet ERV to provide fresh filtered air. The size of the water heating system can be tailored to a smaller number of inhabitants. A smaller 30 or 50-gallon heat pump water heater is an excellent but more expensive option. Using a small well insulated standard electric water heater with added solar panels may be less costly. An even more economical option might be using one or two-point of use tankless electric water heaters – one in the bath and one in the kitchen – and adding sufficient solar to cover its energy use.

An ADU Solar Advantage

Another significant potential savings with constructing a stand-alone ADU is a second chance to install solar on the main property. If the original home does not have a good solar orientation, it may be possible to orient and design an ADU with enough solar for both the original home and the ADU. Any ADU-related shed or garage can be designed to optimize solar exposure. Large roof overhangs to shade the southern or western sun to avoid overheating can also expand the solar area. Or depending on orientation, sufficient solar can be installed on the main home to supply both the main house and the ADU – or some panels can be installed on the sunniest areas of each roof. In any case, optimizing the number of solar panels will lower the cost of ownership and renting.

Small ADUs can Live Large

The key to a successful small ADU is designing it for large living. Building inexpensive non-conditioned storage spaces outside of the conditioned ADU, either in an attached or stand-alone shed or added to a connected or stand-alone garage, is affordable and leaves room for ample storage outside and living inside. Smart kitchen/dining areas design can provide all the amenities in a small space. Creating accessible storage spaces under stairs and over cupboards optimizes the use of space, as do multipurpose rooms like office-bedroom spaces.

Our Experience

We decided to add ADUs to our two small rental homes on two different properties in Bend, Oregon, where the city changed the code to allow ADUs. We conducted energy modeling to determine the least-cost path to zero. We sealed the building envelope using Aerobarrier and insulated it well. We used a small heat pump mini split for HVAC and a small heat pump water heater, used one Panasonic Whisper Quiet ERV in the bath and one in the kitchen, and installed energy-efficient electric appliances, including an induction stove. We added generous unconditioned storage areas outside of each unit. Because neither of the existing small homes had a good solar orientation and the ADUs did, we added enough solar on each of the ADUs to power both the ADU and the original house on each lot. So they both became zero energy homes.

Perfect for Low Income Housing

We can profit from rents while the tenants enjoy no energy bills. We have rented out two units, with two more on the way, to people with low incomes, referred by local non-profit organizations, providing them with affordable small, well-designed living spaces with no energy bills.

By Joe Emerson

Joe is the founder of the Zero Energy Project

Reference

Architecture

BIG unveils spiral-shaped Sneglehusene housing development in Aarhus

By Zarkon Group,03/10/2022

Architecture studio BIG has completed six curved housing blocks that combine to form a spiral shape at the Sneglehusene development near Aarhus, Denmark.

Containing 93 homes, the Sneglehusene housing for developer Taekker Group forms part of the Nye neighbourhood to the north of Aarhus and was created using a modular system developed by BIG and contractor CJ Group.

BIG creates spiral-shaped Sneglehusene housing development in Aarhus — BIG has unveiled the spiral-shaped Sneglehusene housing development in Aarhus

The six curved blocks, which vary from one to four stories, spiral out from a central park designed by BIG Landscape surrounding a small pond.

The overall design for Sneglehusene, which translates as the snail houses in reference to the developments’ spiral form, was based on the Dortheavej Residence housing that BIG and CJ Group previously created in Copenhagen.

Modular Sneglehusene housing in Denmark by BIG — Sneglehusene was made using modular construction methods

“As an architect, one typically only gets to build a house once,” said BIG partner Finn Noerkjaer. “With the Sneglehusene, we were given the opportunity to evolve our housing concept from an earlier project, while also developing the buildings’ own identity.”

“Our modular concept has made it possible for us to maintain simplicity in the execution despite the construction’s complexity, and we have been allowed to improve the concept with all our experience,” he continued.

Modular housing near Aarhus — The blocks step down to create terraces

The development has a similar aesthetic to the Copenhagen housing, with the blocks broken up to create a “porous wall”.

As at Dortheavej Residence, a distinctive checked pattern was created by stacking two modular structures with the indented modules having 3.5-metre high ceilings and the protruding ones 2.5-metre high ceilings.

A series of balconies were placed within the indented spaces, while the blocks step down at the ends to create larger outdoor terraces.

The development contains townhouses, multi-bedroom apartments and studios that range in scale from 50 square metres to 150 square metres.

Concrete ceiling in Danish apartment — The concrete structure is exposed in the ceilings

The building’s concrete structure was clad with timber boards on its facades to express the modular pattern, while it was exposed in the apartment’s ceilings.

All of the homes are dual-aspect with windows facing inward and outward, while the studio aimed to open up interior spaces with minimal internal walls.

Bedroom with large window in Sneglehusene — The apartments are all dual aspect

Founded by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels in 2005, BIG is one of the world’s best-known architecture studios. It has recently completed a cantilevering housing block over IJ lake in Amsterdam and is developing BIG and Samoo unveil design for a “flood-proof” floating city Oceanix Busan.

Ingels is also the co-founder of a housing startup named Nabr that intends to revolutionise the sector. “Architects or designers are, in a way, the last ones to get involved [in housing] so it becomes very hard to be part of a more fundamental transformation of the industry,” Ingels told Dezeen in an exclusive interview.

“This is basically an attempt to apply design, not just to the final product, but to the entire process that delivers our homes.”

The photography is by Rasmus Hjortshoj.

Project credits:

Architect: BIG
Client: Tækker Group
Collaborators: Mads Gjesing, Cj Group, Spangenberg & Madsen, COWI
Partners-in-charge: Bjarke Ingels, Finn Nørkjær, David Zahle
Project manager: Joos Jerne
Design lead: Nanna Gyldholm Møller, Høgni Laksafoss
BIG Landscape: Alexa Haraga, Anders Fønss, Camille Inès Sophie Breuil, Giulia Genovese, Lasse Ryberg Hansen, Ulla Hornsyld
BIG Engineering: Andrea Hektor, Andreas Bak, Andrew Robert Coward, Bjarke Koch-Ørvad, Cecilie Søs Brandt-Olsen, Duncan Horswill, Ewa Zapiec, Ivaylo Ignatov, Jesper Kanstrup Petersen, Jonathan Otis Navntoft Russell, Kaoan Hengles De Lima, Kristoffer Negendahl, Mikki Seidenschnur, Peter Andres Ehvert, Timo Harboe Nielsen, Tristan Robert Harvey
Team: Norbert Nadudvari, Wiktor Kacprzak, Axelle Bosman, Liliane Wenner, Christine Mulvad, Joanna Jakubowska, Johanna Schneider, Richard Garth Howis, Xinying Zhang, Mikkel M. R. Stubgaard, Katarina Mácková, Sean Edmund Deering, Søren Aagaard, Pawel Bussold, Mantas Povilaika, Espen Vik, Lucian Tofan, Jesper Bo Jensen

Reference

Architecture

The Future of Architecture: Social Housing Projects From Around the World

By Zarkon Group,21/09/2022

How can architecture be a force for good in our ever-changing world? During Future Fest, we’re pose this question to some of the world’s best architects. We’re hosting daily virtual talks from September 12th to 30th, which are 100% free to attend. Check out the full schedule!

Diverse housing types are the foundation of better cities. This is especially true across households of different multigenerational and socio-economic backgrounds. Architects and developers have a central part to play in the discussion in providing places to rent, own, and provide shelter for a range of rural and urban communities. Exploring more equitable models of living, we’re inviting experts in housing and development to discuss the future of architecture for an entire week this September. The virtual event, Future Fest, will be 100% free to attend.

Housing is becoming increasingly important as we realize the compounding issues of housing scarcity. Social housing is unique in that the defining characteristics of this architecture aren’t shared across projects. Some models are even defined by open source blueprints, hoping to create similar projects in the future. They can be large or small, a mix of programs or a single residential typology. They also differ widely depending on how the projects are supported and developed. Showcasing how cities are thinking about the architecture of social housing, the following projects represent diverse explorations drawn from around the world. Together, they give a glimpse into the future of urban development and how to equitably design for new ways of living.

Housing Z53

By MICHAN ARCHITECTURE, Azcapotzalco, Mexico

Popular Choice Winner, 2015 A+Awards, Architecture +Low Cost Housing

Addressing a high demand for social housing in Mexico City, this project is located on a rectangular plot with its shortest side facing the street. The 42 units are placed in three towers, generating interior courtyards for views and natural ventilation for each apartment, connecting them with vertical cores and bridges above the patios. The masonry brick walls play an important role on the project as they are part of the structure and re-interpret the traditional brick wall, blurring the boundary between structure and ornament. With the use of a single unit; red mud artisanal brick, the team was able to create walls that respond to light and shadow.

Flor 401 Lofts

By Koning Eizenberg Architecture, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Popular Choice Winner, 10th Annual A+Awards, Multi-Unit Housing Mid-Rise (5-15 Floors)

At the heart of the Flor project was an effort to try and stabilize the lives of people in the city. As permanent supportive housing, the project features large windows, units with a micro kitchen, and each with their own doorbell to reinforce a sense of respite and privacy. Tree-canopied courtyards and indoor and outdoor activity spaces encourage social interaction to add a sense of wellbeing and community.

The design team also created a trellised entry to welcome residents home. The cascading courtyard anchors daily life and is encircled by the apartments reached by elevator, stairs and bridges. The design converts required hidden egress into a visible circulation path to encourage informal exercise and social interaction, while also augmenting passive security.

71 Social Housing Units

By Mobile Architectural Office and JTB. architecture, La Courneuve, France

For La Courneuve, two buildings and 18 duplex units were designed to provide a diversity of housing. A meticulous architectural style contributes to the regeneration of the Cité des 4000. Built in 1956 by the Ville de Paris, this large-scale operation was designed as an estate composed of blocks sited alongside each other. This siting principle generated undefined and unused free spaces, preventing the appropriation of public spaces which are wasted. The regeneration aimed to suppress the effect of uniform and impersonal blocks to give, once again, meaning to the public space with a true landscape and human dimension. The proposal gives a new identity to the neighborhood while integrating this diversity previously missing at all scales of the project.

CasaNova Social Housing

By cdm architetti associati, Bolzano, Italy

CasaNova was an exploration that began with a competition publicly announced by the Social Housing Institute based on a Detailed Plan for the residential expansion. This is a tool the municipal administration had to face the need of social housing with a settlement pattern clearly recognizable in the peripheral context. The plan provided the creation of blocks, the “castles”, made of three to four buildings located around an open tree lined court. Following the numerous plan restrictions, the building emphasizes the unity of the plot by working on the concept of block and by identifying a single kind of construction for the front.

Social-Housing Units in Paris

By Atelier du Pont, Paris, France

For this innovative project in Paris, the team wanted to embrace the neighborhood. Close to avenue de Flandre and just a stone’s throw from the canal de l’Ourcq, rue de Nantes is a fairly traditional Parisian street of Haussmann and inner-suburb buildings. The project gently inserts itself into a narrow parcel bordered by dense, adjoining housing. On the street side, it extends the building streetscape in a simple manner. On the garden side, the staggering from the 1st to the 6th floors creates large, private, south-facing terraces and allows for an unencumbered view of the sky. The “L” shape and the general volumetrics allowed for the creation of a true, collective garden at the ground level, planted with tall trees.

Multigenerational Housing

By major architekci, Wrocław, Poland

Looking to the future, multigenerational house is a social housing located in Wrocław, Poland. The building design combines three functions for three generations: flats with a care service for the elderly and the people with disabilities, flats for rent dedicated for the young and families, and a nursery school on the ground floor. House generates 117 apartments with different typologies. The building is part of the model housing estate Nowe Żerniki, where local architects collectively tried to respond to the growing housing problems and poor spatial quality. One of the initial assumptions of the project was to create a facility conducive to the integration of all its residents and users, so the multigenerational house was designed as a quarter.

Collective Mine – Housing in Gungjeong

By Gubo Architect, Seoul, South Korea

The ‘”Gungjeong Social Housing’ project was carried out for a new residential space experiment for the millennial generation of Korean society. For the younger generation in Korea, residential space is turning into a private space and, at the same time, a community space in loosely solidarity with people of similar tastes. They are seeking the possibility of living and sharing various convenient spaces together because of the expensive housing costs in Seoul. In this project, community lounge cafes will be planned for use by residents on the first and second floors, while the remaining three floors will have a shared house that can accommodate a total of 11 people. Four people reside on each floor, and there is a shared kitchen with a high ceiling on the top floor.

The Iceberg

By JDS ARCHITECTS, SeARCH, and CEBRA, Aarhus, Denmark

Jury Winner, 2013 A+Awards, Mid-Rise (5-15 Floors)

Creating a new urban model, the Iceberg development aimed to create an opportunity for Denmark’s second largest city to develop in a socially sustainable way by renovating its old, out-of-use container terminal. Looking to the future while creating a distinct district, the area is comprised of a multitude of cultural and social activities, a generous amount of workplaces, and a highly mixed and diverse array of housing types. The Iceberg Project was designed to work within the goals of the overall city development. A third of the project’s 200 apartments are set aside as affordable rental housing, aimed at integrating a diverse social profile into the new neighborhood development.

Reference

Architecture

Laneway Homes as a Housing Alternative

By Zarkon Group,28/06/2022

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletter.

The woes of housing shortages plaguing many large cities across the world are well-known and manifold; from a lack of affordable housing driving lower-income families out of cities, to skyrocketing house prices making it even harder for younger people to enter the housing market. But, while drastic rezoning laws to encourage denser housing seem still far off in the future, municipal authorities and architects are finding ways around the problem.

One alternative in vogue has been the concept of ‘gentle density’ — an increase in housing density that has little impact on the outward appearance or character of a neighborhood — and laneway houses have been a driving force behind the trend. Architects are demonstrating that, though tucked behind principal residences, laneway houses need not compromise comfort or privacy. Their designs suggest that one remedy to the housing shortage might be awaiting in our own backyard.

Full House by Leckie Studio Architecture + Design, Vancouver, Canada

The added density provided by this two-story house and laneway addition in Vancouver seeks to push beyond the affordability calculus by rethinking how a multigenerational family can co-exist in a suburb of single-family homes. A hidden one-bedroom, secondary residence provides additional living space in the backyard and matches the sleek and understated design of its bigger sibling.

Central to this aim are the Marcel Duchamp-inspired doors that allow the family to reconfigure the house’s layout as it sees fit. By hinging between two possible frames, the 5-bedroom main home can be split into two discrete dwellings of either 3 and 2 bedrooms or 4 and 1 bedrooms. When comes time for the perennial family gathering, the units can be reopened as one large multi-generational house.

Photo by Matthew Gianoulis

Laneway House by 9point9 Architects, Townsville, Australia

Rather than keeping all three bedrooms and two bathrooms compact into one large house, this bungalow in Townsville, Australia, unfurls its rooms on the full length of its lot. Two guest rooms and a living room receive lighting through the front yard, while the offshoot master bedroom reaches the other end of the lot and is connected to the main building by a translucent walkway that opens onto the central courtyard.

This expansive layout allows the house to breathe both literally and figuratively. The main wing and the master bedroom have direct access to the courtyard, enabling full, unencumbered ventilation of the house. Likewise, the central courtyard gives the house a sense of spaciousness that a larger home on the same lot could not provide.

Rough House + Laneway, by Measured Architecture Inc., Vancouver, Canada

This single family home and an expanded laneway studio in suburban Vancouver uses Japanese-inspired landscaping to create calm spaces within narrow confines. The corrugated steel-clad studio has both landscaping on the roof and a green wall facing the house, reclaiming the green space lost by the densified back yard. The wall also provides a lush and peaceful background for weekend family meals or a late-afternoon summer nap.

Laneway Wall Garden House by Donaghy & Dimond Architects, Dublin, Ireland

This 19th Century Dublin house renovation now boasts an expanded kitchen that protrudes into the cobblestone courtyard garden and an additional bedroom in a separate structure by the laneway. A lean-to zinc covered roof acts as a mediator between the two new spaces, serving as both a rainwater collector and connective tissue. The concrete walls and timber structure have been left unpainted, with the expectation that lichen and moss will one day overtake them, hence mitigating the urban footprint of the new construction.

McIlwrick Residences by B.E. Architecture, Melbourne, Australia

Three townhouses are clustered within this single residential block in Windsor, Melbourne. Small courtyards intertwine with cobblestone alleyways, offering intimate and flexible spaces for the multigenerational family that occupies the residences. The flush struck brickwork and deep-set windows are a contemporary re-iteration of early Victorian Australian architecture thus fitting snuggly in a neighborhood mostly occupied by residences from that era — an attribute that has earned it the label of “quiet integration”, which the architects gave to their design.

Riverdale Townhomes by Studio JCI, Toronto, Canada

The Riverdale Townhouse development gently increases the number of residences on this quiet residential street in Riverdale, Toronto. The bright and spacious five two-bedroom units make for ideal housing for young professionals and new families. Floor-to-ceiling windows and internal voids maximize the interior’s exposure to sunlight, ensuring that the units are generously lit. The dark brick columns of the front-facing façade pay respect to the Victorian-era architecture of its neighbors, while partitioning the modernist charcoal-colored exterior into more palatable doses.

Photos by Mansyur Hasan

R Micro Housing by Simple Projects Architecture, Surabaya, Indonesia

The R Micro Housing complex in the suburbs of Surabaya, Indonesia squeezes five separate, affordable units onto a 39 feet by 98 feet strip of land. The residences might be glued together, but they don’t feel cramped: the complex aligns wall-length skylights above each unit’s staircase, enabling natural sunlight to brighten the ground floor.

The minimalist, monochromatic ‘quintal-plex’ stands out among the neighborhood’s classical hip-roofed terracotta-tiled residences – as if wanting to show off how densification can be a pathway to affordability.

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletter.

Reference

Sustainable News

Round Up: Contextualizing the Rising Trend in Ring-Shaped Housing

By Zarkon Group,13/04/2022

Have your say in which architects will take home Architizer’s prestigious A+Awards: Public Voting opens this spring. Interested in next year’s program? Subscribe to our newsletter for updates.

Recently, The Almanac by Sweco Architects Denmark made headlines for its conceptual community-centric approach to housing. Evoking themes associated with its namesake, the proposal features ring-shaped housing blocks with a large courtyard at its core. The lower floor of the building features cafes and other recreational spaces, tying it with the communal exterior spaces. The core also acts as the cultural center for each structure. The upper floor has a continuous balcony that connects to individual homes, all placed adjacent to each other along the ring form.

The Almanac by Sweco Architects Denmark

Like chawls found in Western India, the connected balcony on the exterior encourages neighbors to interaction. Additionally, the corridor on the inner side also forces people to walk by each other’s homes. Simply walking past the windows of other neighbors increases the chances of impromptu conversations and sharing of meals. Unlike apartments in big cities, it is almost impossible to not know who your neighbors are in this typology. Given the curved form, residents have the opportunity to interact with neighbors across the rings as well as those in the central garden.

The circular form has long been popular in architecture. Vernacular dwellings across the world were rounded, perhaps as an imitation of shapes and geometries found in the natural environment. But this form had several advantages as well. In comparison to a square or rectangular perimeter, a circular exterior has a lesser surface area, helping thermal conditions in cold climates. This shape also allowed for more connection points between the roof and the walls, making them stronger. These homes are also more resistant to strong winds, snow and earthquakes.

Image by ming yang via Pixabay

Over time the form of such buildings has evolved. Using a donut shape for multi-unit housing dates back to the 12th Century. The Tulou is a ring-shaped home made by the Hakka community in the Fujian province of China is one of the most well-known examples. There were some rectangular ones but the ring shape remained more popular. Given its robust walls and limited entrances, its structure was both built to protect its inhabitants and foster community living.

The building had small windows on the outside but was opened up inside. Each Tulou could have two to four floors. Made from thick load-bearing earthen walls, each building could easily house about 800 people along with other community spaces such as halls, wells and storerooms. Each Tulou was created for one Hakka clan and their extended family to live together. The uniform sizes of each home unit inside underscored the overarching design theme: unity.

Image by limo23 via Pixabay

In addition to protection and interaction, these structures were also very sustainable (primarily due to its durability). Today, these rammed earth structures are still standing. It should be noted that they have a minimal carbon footprint; in additional to sustainable material sourcing, the material structure itself also helps to regulate the temperature within. Furthermore, the unique donut shape allows ample light to enter the homes as well as in the common spaces, reducing the need for man-made light sources. There is also good circulation of the air through the entrances and the courtyard.

Apart from vernacular housing, the circular form with multiple units also found different uses through the 18th century. One such example is the Narrenturm in Vienna. The structure, built in 1784, was designed to accommodate psychiatric patients. This shape was thought to be helpful when trying to look at the occupants of the whole building from the center.

This idea was also the foundation for the conceptual Panopticon prisons, imagined by Jeremy Bentham. The building was to house prisoners in cells across the external ring and have a central watchtower for guards to observe prisoners from, much like an internal panorama. Fortunately, the use of the form has now reverted back to private homes, apartment complexes, museums and even commercial buildings.

62M by 5468796 Architecture, Winnipeg, Canada

Today, we’re seeing a renewed interest in this unique building footprint, and the idea of building a round housing structure is now popping up in cities across the world. Take, for example, 62M, a housing dormitory in Winnipeg, which resembles a flying saucer. The disk-shaped structure stands on tall columns to provide better views from the 40 studios within and help with climatic conditions.

The entrance of the building as well as the circulation elements are located at the center. Additionally, the continuous corridor was devised to reduce the alienation caused by connectors with dead ends and present opportunities for the residents to meet their neighbors. The circular form also reduces the external surface area, thereby making heating spaces more efficient in cold winters.

Tietgen Dormitory by Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects, København, Denmark

Similar themes are seen in the Tietgen Dormitory in Denmark. The structure comprises 360 residential units along the perimeter as well as some community spaces along the internal surface. Unlike previous structures in the article, homes in this dorm are staggered to create a sense of individuality. Several apartments are grouped together with a common community space that protrudes to help it stand out. While there is no common corridor inside, the circular form allows for increased visual connectivity.

The ring a ring a roses by GVultaggio

Lastly, a competition entry proposes a housing structure that increases interaction with the landscape as well as other residents. The different homes in the ring are placed at different heights and enclose the central space, creating a secured courtyard. The spaces on the lower level are classified as day-time functions whereas the upper level is for night-time or private functions.

All of these new structures draw on historic precedents but also bring new 21st century insights into the fold. While ringed housing complexes may never be a dominant residential floorplan in our cities, the host of design benefits suggest that this upward trend will bring more user-friendly, community-building housing stock to urban areas in the coming years.

Reference

Sustainable News Zero Energy Homes

Zero Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU): Low Income Housing that Works

By Zarkon Group,15/03/2022

We all know there is a considerable lack of affordable housing in the U.S. and that addressing it effectively has been challenging. Now that many states and municipalities are altering their zoning to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), there is a new opportunity to expand truly affordable rental housing – building low, cost zero energy ADUs – sometimes referred to as in-law apartments, garage apartments, attic apartments, tiny homes, or casitas. But how to make them truly affordable?