Freestanding Houses
This book is also available in a German language edition. (ISBN 978-3-0346-0072-9)
Graphic Design and Drawings: Sebastian Schaal, Martin Trefon Translation from German: Julian Reisenberger, Weimar
Library of Congress Control Number: 2009933147 Bibliographic information published by the German National Library The German National Library lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.ddb.de This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, re-use of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in other ways, and storage in data banks. For any kind of use, permission of the copyright owner must be obtained. © 2010 Birkhäuser Verlag AG Basel · Boston · Berlin P.O.Box 133, CH-4010 Basel, Switzerland Part of Springer Science+Business Media Printed on acid-free paper produced from chlorine-free pulp. TCF '
Printed in Germany ISBN 978-3-0346-0073-6
987654321
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Günter Pfeifer and Per Brauneck
Freestanding Houses A Housing Typology
Birkhäuser Basel · Boston · Berlin
Contents Preface
6
The typology of the freestanding house
8
Floor plan types
18
Semi-detached Parvilla I, Tham & Videgård Hansson Arkitekter House W, Bayer & Strobel Architekten Patchwork house, Pfeifer Roser Kuhn Architekten House of the present, Allmann Sattler Wappner Architekten House C, Per Brauneck Vogelsang farmhouse, AmreinHerzig Architekten Three family house 'In der Hub', Morger & Degelo Architekten Hadersdorf model housing estate 3, Hans Kollhoff Architekten Hadersdorf model housing estate 4, Steidle Architekten Villa Overgooi, Next Architects KBWW house, MVRDV Two houses, Gigon/Guyer Architekten Home for architects and artists, Fuhrimann Hächler Architekten Student project, Christian Weyell
20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 42 44 46 48
Communal staircase access Apartment houses, Susenbergstrasse, Gigon/Guyer Architekten Rottmannsboden house, Morger & Degelo Architekten Hagenbuchrain housing development, Bünzli & Courvoisier Architekten Hegianwandweg housing, EM2N Architekten Lohbach residences, Baumschlager & Eberle BDZ housing development, pool Architekten 'Malzturm', Hürlimann Areal, Thomas Schregenberger Student project, Björn Schmidt Student project, Angèle Tersluisen Student project, Björn Schmidt Student project, Sebastian Schaal
50 52 54 56 58 60 62 66 68 70 72
Courtyard access Java Island housing, Diener & Diener Architekten Werdwies housing development, Adrian Streich Architekten Student project, Philippa Glaser Student project, Johannes Lahme
74 76 78 80
Hybrid Esplanade housing, Steidle Architekten Student project, Sebastian Schaal Student project, Daniel Dolder Diploma project, Tobias Katz
82 86 88 90
High-rise Chassé Park apartments, Xaveer de Geyter Silverline tower, Claus en Kaan Architecten Star House 3, Steidle Architekten De Rokade residential building, Arons en Gelauff Architecten 'PopMoma' residential tower, Baumschlager & Eberle 'Moma' residential tower, Baumschlager & Eberle KNSM apartment tower, Wiel Arets Architects Kanchanjunga tower, Charles Correa Associates Wienerberg apartment high-rise, Delugan Meissl Architects Torre Cuajimalpa residential tower, Meir Lobaton and Kristjan Donaldson
92 94 98 100 102 104 106 108 112 114
Bibliography
118
Illustration credits
120
Preface The freestanding house is not, strictly speaking, a typological category of housing. While in the previous volumes in the series – row houses, courtyard houses and town houses – the focus lay on typological floor plan arrangements, here the term 'freestanding' refers to an urban typological category. This marks a first fundamental difference to the other volumes in the series. Freestanding houses can be categorised according to their type of access, orientation and spatial organisation, but as these categories reoccur in new formations, they cannot be regarded as true typological characteristics. An examination of freestanding houses, therefore, refers less to typological floor plan characteristics, focusing instead on the issue of structural integration at an urban level. But here we are faced with a seemingly irresolvable conflict: urban spaces cannot be formed with freestanding houses alone. The freestanding house wants to be as independent as possible, will not fall into line and resists typological classification. This explains, perhaps, why the freestanding house is still viewed by many as an ideal way of living. Standing on its own, it embodies the desire for maximum possible freedom and independence. Although we have long been aware that the promise of autonomy is more illusion than reality, from a psychological point of view, the feeling of individualism is perhaps a decisive factor for the popularity of the 'freestanding house'. The freestanding house represents the last in the series of volumes on housing typologies – after courtyard houses, row houses and town houses – and is also the most complex. In the context of the argumentation followed in the previous volumes, which proposes the cybernetic networking of individual elements in complex structures, this volume assumes a special status. At first sight, the inherent contradiction between 'individual', 'freestanding' and 'independent', and 'networked', 'structural' and 'cybernetic' seems irreconcilable. But, given that demand for this type of housing remains undiminished and that it also gives rise to economic and ecological problems, it is vital that we resolve this contradiction. This volume shows a selection of built and unbuilt projects which, in the authors’ opinion, exhibit particularly compelling typological floor plan arrangements that are nevertheless flexible enough to anticipate future requirements. As this book is the product of ongoing research at the Department of 6
Architecture at the University of Darmstadt, projects by established architects stand alongside designs by students which, in the spirit of research work, represent the current state of academic exploration, which strives for a holistic and forward-looking consideration of housing. The authors aim to show which possibilities can lead to high-density, complex spatial structures. The study begins by considering relatively straightforward, small freestanding residential buildings in complex urban, communal, ecological and spatial contexts. Accordingly, the examples illustrate elements that relate intelligently to aspects such as sunshine, orientation, spatial structure and adjacent outdoor areas. As the examples become more complex, the number of elements that relate to one another within the freestanding houses increases, each fulfilling important functions such as external and internal circulation, lighting, views in and out, private outdoor areas and energy supply. With the exception of especially complex projects, the projects are presented in a uniform layout and scale. The projects are presented mostly in the form of floor plans supplemented by sections or isometric drawings where necessary to explain the project. Typical floor plans in some examples have been coloured to make building structures easier to discern and are denoted in shades of grey in the individual storeys. Furnishings are represented abstractly to aid legibility. While information concerning the construction, economics or technical details has been omitted, ecological advantages resulting from particular typological arrangements of floor plans are noted in the accompanying description. Photos of the individual projects illustrate characteristic elements of each project. In this last volume in the series on housing typologies, we particularly wanted to demonstrate the advantages and fascinating potential of spatial variety and networked structural approaches. We wish to encourage all those actively involved in creating and designing housing options to explore new directions, drawing on the examples presented here as a basis for their own investigations.
7
The typology of the freestanding house There are few more compelling examples of a freestanding house than the Black Forest farmhouse.1 First and foremost, it epitomises a sense of 'home' and autonomy, craftsmanship and solidity. It is a hybrid building serving several uses, and its basic structure is ecological and cybernetic, two aspects that one could write about in detail. The Black Forest farmhouse is 'freestanding' in the true sense of the word: it is a single building standing in the midst of open landscape; it is adapted to fit its environment; and its spatial structure as well as its building materials are drawn from its direct surroundings. These represent in essence the principal qualities of an ecological and sustainable architectonic structure for freestanding buildings.
Schniderli farmhouse, 1593, Wolf Schneller
The other image which we commonly associate with 'freestanding houses' are estates of detached, single family houses that increasingly fill the ever expanding peripheries of our cities,2 the most drastic examples of which can be seen in the sprawling suburbs of Los Angeles. In this perverted form of the freestanding house, it is hard to find any qualities that remotely compare to those of the Black Forest farmhouse. While the first example exemplifies the qualities of the freestanding house, the second illustrates dramatically the problems associated with this housing typology. These two images mark the extents of architectural discourse on the typology of the freestanding house. 8
The qualities of this housing typology are immediately apparent. Because it stands on its own, the building faces in all directions. The passage of the sun can be experienced throughout the entire house: morning light streams in at breakfast, the sun deck faces south, living areas face west towards the evening sun and atelier and work rooms receive diffuse light from the north. Its orientation makes it possible to frame particular views – provided they are not obstructed by neighbouring buildings – or alternatively, to block out undesirable views by utilising the many alternative lighting options. The freestanding house affords the designer apparently unlimited freedom in both the design of the house as well as response to local site conditions in relation to the wishes of the future residents. This is the primary reason for the unbroken popularity of freestanding houses. From a psychological point of view, the freestanding house embodies the 'desire for one’s own patch of land' – the very quintessence of ownership. Certain architectural elements represent this psychological feeling particularly strongly, for example the fence or enclosure, the front garden, one’s own front door and, more than anything else, space between oneself and one’s neighbour. It is this space that guarantees the status of being independent, of being singular and unique. These are the primary elements that characterise this typology and account for its ongoing popularity. In terms of floor plan typology, it is difficult to verify what is or is not a freestanding house. One can identify different categories of access, orientation and spatial organisation, but as these categories very often overlap or are manifested in different constellations, they cannot serve as identifiable typological characteristics for a particular house typology. The floor plans of freestanding houses exhibit few clearly repeating patterns, differing more in terms of the degree of openness or enclosure of rooms or zones. Here too, however, one encounters all manner of variants across the entire scale, which are not distinctive enough to serve as distinguishing features. Instead, one can only differentiate between different orders of magnitude of freestanding houses: semi-detached houses, houses with communal staircase access and one or more units per floor, hybrid variants thereof, high-rise buildings or combinations of individual houses. Within these freestanding structures, different individual elements can relate to one another and generate synergies. The last and smallest sub-category of the freestanding house, 9
the individual house that contains just one residential unit is, on account of the fact that it exists alone, unable to generate such synergies. We have opted not to include this last category in our overview as it does not represent a sustainable option with regard to the development of the city. Furthermore, an analytical examination of houses in this category shows that the reality does not correspond to the image of the autonomous house outlined earlier. The promise of living in an autonomous house turns out to be illusion. Urban integration Over the last decades building plots have become increasingly expensive as land availability decreases and land development costs increase. As a consequence, the patches of land on which to realise one’s dream of an own home have grown successively smaller. The resulting disadvantages of the single family home outweigh the advantages by far. Because the plots are small, the individual houses stand so close to each other that all that remains of private outdoor space is often only a green dividing strip overlooked from all sides and entirely devoid of intimacy. Because public-sector land development has to be economically efficient, one or other side of a plot may have a disadvantageous orientation with regard to road noise or sunshine, depending on the side of access. The poor surfacearea-to-footprint ratio of single houses is also disadvantageous and makes it difficult to achieve a good energy balance. In terms of spatial flexibility, too, the individual house has its limitations: while it is possible to extend and add to the house, it is virtually impossible to reduce it in size. The detached house is also problematic, in terms of urban integration necessitating complex land development and settlement patterns. Depending on the skill of the planner, some plots will be disadvantaged to a greater or lesser degree. Plots may result that are only accessible from the south as well as some with only a westerly or an easterly orientation. Overshadowing is a further problem that is almost unavoidable when plots are excessively small. The semi-detached house was born as a subcategory of the freestanding house to remedy the lack of distance between plots. This type – a caricature of the single family house – attempts to combine an element that by definition resists combination: the single family house is divided into two halves that share their south-facing façade. Accordingly, the outdoor space also needs to be divided, and even when the division is just a panel fence allowing the southwest side to receive the evening sun while shading the southeast side from midday onwards. 10
The problems of the single family house type and the urban structures it produces are most certainly of a categorical nature. Accordingly, it is all the more surprising that it continues to persist in the housing landscape. One can only assume that, from the viewpoint of the individual homeowner, the aforementioned advantages more than outweigh the urban disadvantages. Theoretical approaches to reconciling this categorical discrepancy have been devised but are few and far between. The most radical idea can be attributed to Frank Lloyd Wright and his concept for 'Broadacre City'.3 It combines expansive landscape with an extensive network of access roads and infrastructure, which in today’s terms would seem excessive. This ideal has to date never been realised, not even partially: rather than the pervasive greening of the city, it has instead long become riddled with roadways – a development that ultimately leads to the disintegration of the compact historical city and the gradual urbanisation of the landscape.
Broadacre City, 1932, Frank Lloyd Wright 11
Le Corbusier, too, examined the single house type in his 'plan voisin',4 although on an entirely different basis. From an ideological standpoint, his concept is the exact opposite to Wright’s extensive concept. Corbusier proposes freestanding buildings in the form of high-rise towers beneath which the landscape can flow freely. This concept would also have led to the disintegration of the city and fails to reconcile the categorical incompatibility between the psychology of the individual and the constraints of the collective.
'Plan voisin', 1925, Le Corbusier
To cut short further elaboration, no truly successful urban theories have been founded on the building of single family houses, just as we have been equally unable to establish a theoretical definition for the typological variety of the individual house in the city. It seems instead that the categories of urban development and the detached single family house are mutually exclusive. In the context of the city, single family houses are a 'peripheral phenomenon'. Where, perhaps, individual houses offer most potential in the city is in locations where access is only possible from one side, for example, along rivers or terraces in the landscape that offer a view. Individual buildings in the form of freestanding multi-storey houses with apartments on each floor that look out over the landscape afford as many units as possible the advantages of freestanding structures. 12
The opportunity At this point it should become clear that the key to the future of individual housing lies in multiplication of the units. If we are able to stack the individual house in the third dimension and to combine several elements with one another while simultaneously addressing the psychological needs answered by the individual house, then a variety of options start to appear. In principle the objective is quite simple: each unit needs its own entrance – no joint staircases! Each unit needs its own front garden, perhaps also a garage of its own and a garden fence. Each unit requires light from all sides and, of course, a generous garden-like outdoor space that is not overlooked by one’s neighbours. Although the objectives may seem simple to formulate, they are highly complex to realise. It necessitates the development of entirely new conceptual structures for architecture, the alteration of existing building legislation and the development of new aims and priorities for collective housing. Rethinking access Access structures play a central role in the development of new collective forms of housing. Previously we have concentrated on minimising the amount of access and circulation space. The examples in the project section of this volume show, however, that multiple means of accessing rooms and units can produce greater spatial flexibility which, over the lifetime of the building, may in fact be more economical. Furthermore, the additional volume required for the extended access possibilities can simultaneously be used as a means of passive energy gain, in turn opening up other possibilities. Spaces for interaction can result that double as additional means of access, allowing these connecting spaces to be regarded as elements that serve multiple functions. Reconsidering the self-contained apartment The emergence of self-contained apartments corresponded with the gradual consolidation of stable living conditions in society in which the family unit formed a constant basic unit. These conditions have long since changed. Modern-day living circumstances have become increasingly changeable and dynamic. The number and kind of partnerships change more often and require living environments that are able to respond to these new dynamics. As such, self-contained, fixed-size apartments are no longer forward-looking. It should be possible to join together residential units with minimal effort, and to separate them again at a later point in time. A single building structure 13
should be able to accommodate communal flats on the one hand and oneperson units on the other, as well as changing patterns of usage. We need to reconsider our view of the single typology: a strategy that sees the individual element not as a finite and insular unit grounded on a notion of independence but as an element within a larger structure that relates the elements specifically to one another, thereby increasing the degree of freedom of each individual element. This idea is in principle not new. Structuralist thinking in the 1960s and 1970s, which developed as a reaction and in opposition to functionalist town planning, already incorporated key principles of this strategy. Likewise, the principle of cybernetics as a dynamic system of energy and information feedback after Norbert Wiener has already become part of architecture’s theoretical grounding (see the volume Row Houses, 'Cybernetics: Integration of type and topos')5. In the context of these ideas and a growing awareness of climate change and its concomitant effect on energy efficiency in building, it will be necessary to reappraise the typology of the single family house. Revising planning laws and building regulations Building regulations and particularly planning laws at an urban scale will need to be revised in many areas. The complex subordination to building legislation is the reason why very few examples of forward-looking, sustainable, freestanding houses have been built. For example, the ability to connect together rooms in different constellations is fraught with legislative difficulties with regard to the construction as well as tenancy regulations. Similarly the notion of ownership in relation to land and property needs redefining. If the development of urban building land is purely determined by the speculative interests of individual investors, more complex structures that can enter into mutual relationships with one another will not happen. It is necessary to increase the density of building in some areas in order to free up space elsewhere. Reappraising the building envelope The building envelope, too, needs to be reappraised as the prevailing notion of economy and ecology is grounded on another definition of efficiency. In this regard, the category of high-density individual housing, for example in the form of a high-rise tower, offers great potential. Residential tower blocks were frowned upon in the 1980s and condemned as urban mistakes. Given the need for greater energy efficiency in inner-city structures, the potential efficiency of high-rise structures should be reconsidered. 14
According to Brian Cody, 'studies have shown that there is a direct relationship between urban density and energy consumption due to transportation.'6 And further, 'if we accept and acknowledge that we need to increase urban density in our cities as a vital component of their sustainable development, then we will need to look at high-rise buildings and ascertain whether or not they can cost-effectively increase urban density in a sustainable and acceptable manner.' If we look back through architectural history, we can find a number of examples of well-conceived high-rise buildings, ranging from van den Broek and Bakema’s residential tower in Berlin (1960) to the legendary structural virtuosity of the Kanchanjunga tower by Charles Correa in Bombay (1970–83) with its extraordinarily complex, spacious maisonettes. If we add the aforementioned aspects to the energy argument, the current attitude to high-rise buildings for residential purposes has to change. Nevertheless, there are also a series of further problems that need to be resolved. While the quality of living in upper storeys is good in terms of illumination – provided we live on the right side – wind loads at heights of over 50 metres make natural ventilation and private outdoor spaces especially important but difficult to realise. Beside the need for a different attitude to the cybernetic principles of natural ventilation, this will also entail changes to the typology of the high-rise. The idea of supporting natural ventilation with an active climatic façade leads inevitably to the conclusion that the façade cannot be large enough. The old principles – optimising the surface area with respect to the volume – have become obsolete. The climatically conscious, energy-efficient high-rise for modern ways of living has yet to be invented – both typologically as well as technically. Outlook The picture of the Black Forest farmhouse sketched earlier shows that highly complex cybernetic structures can be realised. This is also possible in the context of contemporary requirements. What is needed, however, is a shift in the perception of the task at hand as well as a different architectural working method. If we are able to overcome the fixation with profitability, as manifested through the ratio of gross floor area to living space, then it may be possible to reach a new definition of sustainability as described earlier.
15
Kanchanjunga tower, 1983, Charles Correa 16
The architectural working medium could be a design strategy that focuses on the spaces in between. Just as we begin designing urban design plans from the open spaces, the squares, street profiles and connecting paths, before turning to the secondary aspect of building volumes, so we should develop designs for housing from the spaces in between. As these begin to accommodate several functions at the same time, space that was 'in between' becomes 'actual' space. In the language of the structuralists, that means: not the element in itself but the way in which it is linked to its neighbouring elements is the focus of this architectural strategy. In the same way that the urban realm results from the way in which elements are linked to one another, so too are different living options within the same volume the product of interconnections. A decisive aspect is the dimensioning of the volumes in terms of energy and the enlargement of the bounding or contact surfaces of the individual elements so that they can contribute to the energy balance of the house, both physically as well as psychologically. The underlying principle of this form of architecture is the collection of energy at all levels, just as it always was for the creation of the Black Forest farmhouse.
1 see Schilli, Hermann: Das Schwarzwaldhaus. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer 1953 2 see Thomas Sieverts: Cities without Cities. An Interpretation of the Zwischenstadt. Between Place and World, Space and Time, Town and Country. New York: Routledge 2003 3 see Riley, Terence; Reed, Peter: Frank Lloyd Wright Architect. New York: Museum of Modern Art 1994 4 see Curtis, William J. R.: Le Corbusier – Ideas and Forms. London: Phaidon 1987; Boesiger, Willy; Stonorov, Oscar; Bill, Max (Ed.): Le Corbusier – Complete Works in 8 Volumes. Basel, Boston, Berlin: Birkhäuser 2006 5 see also: Foerster, Heinz: KybernEthik. Berlin: Merve 1993; Wiener, Norbert: Cybernetics. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press 1948; Wiener, Norbert: The Human Use of Human Beings – Cybernetics and Society. New York: Da Capo 1950; Wiener, Norbert: Futurum Exactum. Vienna: Springer 2002 6 Cody, Brian: 'Urban Design and Energy', in: GAM Architecture Magazine 05, 2008
17
Floor plan types The typology of freestanding houses is essentially determined by their primary means of circulation and access to the apartments. Because freestanding buildings stand alone and can therefore face in all directions, spatial categories are less applicable. Accordingly, the scale can change considerably, even within the same typological category. The basic premise of being able to combine or reallocate spaces between individual units means that the conventional single family house is excluded.
Semi-detached While the conventional semi-detached house comprises just two parties, this category is also used to describe projects with more than two parties where each party has their own entrance at ground level and staircases within the apartment as necessary. There is no communal staircase. The combination and spatial structures of the 'independent' units form a single compact volume.
Communal staircase access The basis of this typology is a communal staircase providing access to one or more apartments per floor. The arrangement of the floor plan is independent of the orientation of the building. Depending on the location of an apartment in a floor, specific solutions may be necessary to maximise illumination and orientation. The size of the apartments can vary, particularly when there are several units on each floor.
Courtyard access A central courtyard allows the main access zone to the apartments to be naturally lit and provides a space for communication and interaction. Courtyard access allows a larger number of apartments to be accessed on each floor than with a staircase. Covered courtyards or atria can also be utilised as a source of passive energy gain.
18
Hybrid This typological category describes buildings that use a mixture or combination of different access systems to facilitate new spatial configurations. A building may respond to the different possible needs and changing life situations of the residents by providing different kinds of apartments. This results in a more diverse range of apartment types.
High-rise This building typology is characterised by the high demands its access system has to fulfil and the comparatively large proportion of floor space used by the structure. Special floor plan arrangements have to be devised to counteract the problem of poor illumination in certain directions. A key feature of this building type is the privileged view it affords.
19
Semi-detached 2 storeys 2 units The house follows, in principle, the classical arrangement of a semi-detached typology. The units are oriented in an east-west direction, with the lower unit receiving some light from the south, and the upper none. This unequal treatment is compensated for in part by the large roof garden which receives light from all sides. A characteristic element of the
Top floor
house is the internal axis of the staircase which receives light from above via skylights, creating attractive spatial interrelationships. The extension of the living area across two storeys also adds new qualities to the classical semi-detached typology. The ground floor annexe flat, which can optionally be connected to the main flat via the entrance area, allows the building to respond flexibly
1st floor
to changes in living arrangements or stages of life.
Parvilla I Danderyd, 2005 Tham & Videgård Hansson Arkitekter 20
Ground floor
Cross section
21
Semi-detached 2 storeys 2 units This semi-detached house type takes a different approach to the typical semidetached arrangement, where two halves of a house stand next to one another, by stacking two parties on top of each other to create a freestanding duplex type. This arrangement makes it possible for both apartments to face
Cross section
in all directions. External access is from the north side, past a parking space which is incorporated into the volume of the building, into a lobby with staircase. From here one can enter the lower of the two apartments through the combined living and dining area, which is illuminated via a two-storey skylight. A loggia cut deep into the building provides a private outdoor space and creates interesting spatial interrelation-
Upper floor
ships in the interior. Arranged in the northeast corner of the ground floor is a small apartment, which can be combined with or separated from the adjacent unit. The top floor apartment has the same arrangement as the floor below but with a roof terrace in place of the loggia. Ground floor
House W Homburg, 2004 Bayer & Strobel Architekten 22
23
Semi-detached 2 storeys 2 units This house turns the typological category of the semi-detached house on its head in more ways than one. Both units face in all directions: the ground floor faces north and south, the upper floor west and east, the top floor either north or south. The spatial boundary between both parties is not clearly drawn, allowing a variety of different patterns of
Top floor
usage to result. The open hallway that crosses the volume of the building, for example, offers much potential for future modifications or repurposing. This free space serves as a socialising space on the one hand and as a passive energy collector, improving the energy balance of the building, on the other. Clad with polycarbonate panels, the house takes a straightforward approach to creating
1st floor
an active energy façade. The complex and detailed planning work up front has helped to minimise the level of automation required for the technical installations. In this sense, the semi-detached house can be regarded as a holistic, cybernetically networked system.
Ground floor
Patchwork house Müllheim, 2005 Pfeifer Roser Kuhn Architekten 24
Cross section
25
Semi-detached 2 storeys 3 units The central idea of this experimental house type is the strict spatial separation of 'public' and 'private' living areas. The design reflects an underlying psychological tendency where private spaces are becoming increasingly private and communal areas ever more public. The concept assumes that all parties are willing to live together communally, while providing each with a sheltered private area of their own. The private areas are therefore arranged apart from one another on the ground floor. They each have their own entrance and are oriented in a different direction. High hedges provide a visual screen and enclosure. The area between the private 'cells' can be used for parking. Each individual wing has its own stairs to the communal area on the upper floor. Each cell also has its own roof terrace, reached from the communal area.
House of the present Munich, 2005 Allmann Sattler Wappner Architekten 26
Cross section
Upper floor
Ground floor 27
Semi-detached 3 storeys 3 units The three-storey semi-detached house can function as a spacious single family house or as a multiple-family house with two or three separate units. In the situation shown here, the ground and upper floor form a single unit catering for the needs of a typical family. The lower ground floor is an annexe apartment with the entrance located on the far side of the stairs. Should the living
Top floor
arrangement change in future, the floors could function as independent units, each with a single bedroom, or alternatively the two lower floors could be joined together, leaving the upper floor as a separate unit. To convert the building for different living arrangements, one need only remove or relocate a few plasterboard walls. It is important that
Ground floor
should the units be separated, their respective outdoor areas do not encroach on one another: the terraces each face different directions, and there are no direct views between these outdoor areas.
Lower ground
House C Groß-Umstadt, 2009 Per Brauneck 28
Longitudinal section
Cross section
Top view of the roof
29
Semi-detached 3 storeys 3 units The rectangular cube is conceived as a semi-detached house with a small, west-facing apartment on the ground floor. The entrance halls to the two apartments on the upper storeys are located next to it. The arrangement of the twin set of stairs in the centre that ascend in opposite directions means that the first floor of one apartment lies above the ground floor of the other,
Top floor
and likewise in reverse for the top floor. Accordingly, each of these apartments has rooms that face in different directions. The central positioning of the stairs and landings keeps the circulation space to an absolute minimum. If necessary, the ground floor flat can also be connected to either of the two larger apartments. The living and dining area
1st floor
of each apartment is on the top floor, an arrangement that would also ensure optimal illumination even in an urban setting. Adjoining the living room, a deep loggia, which has its own storeroom, faces the evening sun and provides a private outdoor area that is not overlooked.
Ground floor
Vogelsang farmhouse Ebikon, 2007 AmreinHerzig Architekten 30
Cross section
31
Semi-detached 3 storeys 3 units The semi-detached house on an inclined site contains three interlocking residential units. Passing to one side of the garage, one enters the building at the bottom via a communal lobby that serves as an 'anteroom' for the private entrances and hallways. Conceived as 'through-rooms', these private entrance areas open at the rear onto the communal cellar. Single flights of stairs lead from
Top floor
each private entrance hallway to the respective unit on the upper floor. The L-shaped volume of the building allows each unit to receive maximum sunlight. The position and direction of the stairs on the upper storeys means that each storey faces in a different direction so that all the units receive light from all directions. Each apartment has a private sun deck, terrace and lookout on the roof. The complex internal arrange-
Upper floor
ment is carefully slotted together to form a simple building volume with a restrained external appearance.
Three family house 'In der Hub' Zurich, 1998 Morger & Degelo Architekten 32
Ground floor
Longitudinal section
33
Semi-detached 3 storeys 4 units Behind the classical proportions of a villa-like façade is a cleverly conceived 'double semi-detached house' containing a total of four units, each with three levels. In the apartments on the north side as well as those to the south, the units alternate on each floor between the respective east and west half of the building. This is made possible by locating the semi-circular winding dog-leg stairs and its solid dividing wall
Top floor
in the centre of the plan. As a result, each unit faces in three directions. This arrangement makes it possible to avoid the problem of how to handle northeastfacing apartments in such buildings. The floor plans of the apartments follow a classical arrangement with living room, dining room and kitchen on the ground floor, reached via a lobby, and bedrooms
1st floor
and bathrooms on the two upper floors.
Ground floor
Hadersdorf model housing estate 3 Vienna, 2007 Hans Kollhoff Architekten 34
Longitudinal section
35
Semi-detached 3 storeys 4 units This row of houses is located next to the three-storey semi-detached house type by Hans Kollhoff also described in this volume (see p. 34). Unlike the latter, this house type is truly oriented in all directions and resolves the problem of
Longitudinal section
northeast-facing apartments very simply. The entrance to each unit is on the north side. Via a wind lobby one enters the living and dining area with kitchen, which spans from the north to the south side of the building. The apartments at either end receive light from three sides, the two inner apartments from just two sides. On the upper floor the orientation changes to a single-aspect
Top floor
row of bedrooms and a bathroom. Each flat has a bedroom which also faces either east or west. On the top floor, the orientation switches back to the north-south arrangement with the roof terraces allowing sunlight to stream in from the west and east. 1st floor
Hadersdorf model housing estate 4 Vienna, 2007 Steidle Architekten Ground floor 36
37
Semi-detached 3 storeys 5 units On the ground floor of the building, each of the five units has its own cuboid entrance block containing a private room, which together divide the space beneath the house to create separate parking bays and a central courtyard. A straight flight of stairs leads to the main living area on the first floor, which, depending on the respective needs, houses an open living and dining area, kitchen and a number of bedrooms. The long narrow floor plans in the centre of the building receive natural light and ventilation from above. The skilful arrangement of the stairs on the upper floor allows the top floor to run
Upper floor
perpendicular to the first floor. The narrow floor plans are more open on the top floor, making space for terraces and skylights that illuminate the deep plans in the floor below. The top floor consists primarily of bedrooms and bathrooms.
Villa Overgooi Almere, 2008 Next Architects 38
Ground floor
Section 1
39
Section 2
Top floor
40
41
Semi-detached 4 storeys 2 units From a typological perspective, this fourstorey house conforms to the classical notion of a semi-detached house. What makes it unusual, however, is that the dividing line between the two shifts back
Top floor
and forth. The unequal division and different-sized zones on the individual floors create spatial tension. The northsouth orientation of the building benefits both parties by allowing them equal lighting conditions. The typological advantage of this meandering spatial struc-
3rd floor
ture in comparison to an even division in two halves, is that it creates a sequence of spaces of different sizes. As a result, the spacious living areas are located on different floors in the two neighbouring apartments and have non-specific functions, unlike the other
2nd floor
floors in the building. Straight flights of stairs connect the different storeys, allowing the spaces to be staggered, which in turn increases the spatial penetration. The full-height glazing of the entire north and south façades underlines the openness and spaciousness of
1st floor
this concept.
KBWW house Utrecht, 1997 MVRDV Ground floor 42
Longitudinal section
43
Semi-detached 4 storeys 3 units The principle of this house type is quite simple: two houses, one stacked on top
Top floor
of the other, each with their own entrance and internal staircase. This particular example benefits from its location on a sloping site, allowing side access to the smaller unit on the lower ground floor via an external stair. The volume of the building contains a five-room apartment split across three floors with an entrance on the ground floor and a half-turn winding stair. The ground floor
Ground floor
also contains a garage. On the top floor, the volume steps back to make space for a large, south-facing roof terrace. The floor plan is organised so that the top floor can also function as a separate apartment. The same applies to the rooms on the lower ground floor, which can be converted to allow a different division and distribution of rooms. These simple combinatory tricks enable this
Lower ground floor
house type to respond to the changing demands and living patterns of contemporary society.
Two houses Zurich, 1998 Gigon/Guyer Architekten Bottom floor 44
Section
45
Semi-detached 4 storeys 4 units The sculptural form of the building conceals a complex interior behind the austere façades. The house contains four units with ateliers. All are accessed from the ground floor via a communal hallway and from there extend individually upwards. The first residential unit begins on the east side with a living and working area. An internal stair and gal-
Top floor
lery above the kitchen connects the two bedrooms on the upper level with the ground floor. The second residential unit has a small atelier space on the ground floor which is connected via an angular, two-storey stair with the living and bedrooms on the top floor. The third apartment lies on the west side and is arranged similarly to the first, only a little smaller. The fourth apartment is reached via a two-storey stair that leads to the
1st floor
top floor. This unit lies on the southwest corner of the building and has a northfacing roof terrace. Each unit has its own private outdoor space.
Home for architects and artists Zurich, 2003 Fuhrimann Hächler Architekten 46
Ground floor
Cross section
47
Semi-detached 3 storeys 4 units The complex access structure of this semi-detached house type is a model of how supplementary access options using several sets of stairs can significantly increase the usability and variability of the units. The basic footprint can be divided into up to four units, each of which faces in a different direction. The typological trick is the arrangement of two quarter-turn stairs in the
Top floor
centre of the plan which are supplemented by single-flight, left- or rightturning stairs which lead to the entrances. This allows the plan to rotate with each storey. While in the version shown, the living room is on the ground floor and the private rooms on the upper floors, the central positioning of the technical installations means that alternative configurations are equally
Upper floor
possible. The two spacious loggias on the second floor likewise increase the usability of the spaces by making it possible to provide outdoor areas on the upper level for additional units.
Student project Darmstadt University Christian Weyell 48
Ground floor
Section 1
Section 2
49
Communal staircase access 3 storeys 3 units per floor With only one apartment per floor, each apartment contains rooms that face – and enjoy fantastic views – in all directions. Three fixed blocks in the floor plan, containing the stairs and lift, the kitchen and the bathroom respectively, define the remaining space as free zones for use as an open living area. This continuous space can be subdivided into individual rooms as required using large sliding doors. The large loggias are articulated as enclosed outdoor spaces. The stairs are arranged in such a way that one enters the apartment in
Top floor
the middle of the building. The lift opens directly onto the hallway in the apartment. On the top floor, the volume of the building steps back to make space for a large roof terrace, sacrificing one of the bedrooms – the top floor flats therefore have two rooms rather than three.
Typical floor plan
This typology can be varied in different sizes, floor areas or volumes. Because it is illuminated from all sides, this house type is completely open and can be oriented as required and in different arrangements.
Apartment houses, Susenbergstrasse Zurich, 2000 Gigon/Guyer Architekten 50
Ground floor
Longitudinal section
51
Communal staircase access 3 storeys 2 units per floor The three-storey house with five units – all large apartments with three or four rooms – is located in an up-market neighbourhood and reinterprets the idea of a large villa. The apartments are organised in such a way that each has a direct relationship to an outdoor space, but they do not overlook one another.
Top floor
The narrow building turns a corner thereby allowing all the apartments to face south and be accessed via a single stair, although some rooms do face east or west. Each apartment has its own spacious loggia, while the top floor steps back so that the terrace extends around almost the entire perimeter of the building. The apartments are accessed from the north via straight flights of stairs and a lift. The entrance to the penthouse
Upper floor
apartment is on the second floor and the lift opens directly onto the hallway in the apartment.
Rottmannsboden house Binningen, 1997 Morger & Degelo Architekten 52
Ground floor
Longitudinal section
53
Communal staircase access 4 storeys 4 units per floor The star-shaped configuration of the building footprints in this scheme ensures optimal lighting conditions for all the apartments. A naturally lit staircase next to the outside wall provides access to four apartments per storey. In addition to a one-room apartment, which can also be used as an atelier or separate office, there are two units which both have two bedrooms, and a large unit with three bedrooms, on each floor. An intimate loggia positioned in front of the kitchen provides a private outdoor area that is not overlooked. The living areas of the larger apartments are positioned at the end of each axis of the star so that they receive light from three sides. In addition to the well-proportioned rooms, the flats come equipped with high-quality, durable and carefully detailed fittings such as bronze-coloured metal windows, oak cladding, and scraped render – an aspect of sustainability that is all too often neglected in housing schemes for multiple parties.
Hagenbuchrain housing development Zurich, 2005 Bünzli & Courvoisier Architekten 54
Longitudinal section
Ground floor
55
Communal staircase access 4/5 storeys 3 to 4 units per floor The ability to step outside from every room in an apartment is the main characteristic of this house type. The close proximity of an exit outdoors provides a sense of living in a detached house, albeit in a stacked arrangement. This psychological factor can help residents respond more favourably to collective housing schemes. In this sense, each room offers a usable space that, over and above the extra floor space it provides, also allows one to use the living areas more flexibly. The internal arrangement of the building follows a strict
Typical floor plan
logic. Four units with differing numbers of rooms surround a central staircase and lift. The living rooms are located at the corners of the building and offer views in at least two directions. Technical installations and kitchens are clustered in blocks arranged around the internal party wall. Entrance hallways with a separate WC function as a wind lobby between the apartment and public staircase and increase the sense of intimacy.
Hegianwandweg housing Zurich, 2003 EM2N Architekten Ground floor 56
Cross section
57
Communal staircase access 5/6 storeys 8 to 10 units per floor This house type is arranged around an internal courtyard with curving walls and a circular or elliptical stairwell that forms an intimate interior space. This communal core provides access to eight or ten apartments per floor. The arrangement of the individual apartments has been optimised as far as possible, with minimal internal circulation space and rooms that are sometimes very small. The north-facing apartments are arranged around the corner so that they also receive light from the east or west.
Typical floor plan, type 2
On the elevations, one can see that some of the apartments have a narrow gallery that provides the residents with a modicum of outdoor space directly adjacent to the apartment. The structure of the façades reflects the rigorous internal arrangement and, in contrast to the economy of the floor plans, is clad with high-quality materials.
Lohbach residences Innsbruck, 2000 Baumschlager & Eberle Typical floor plan, type 1 58
Longitudinal section, type 1
59
Communal staircase access 7 storeys 3 units per floor The triangular volumes of these buildings guarantee optimal lighting conditions on every floor with each apartment receiving light from at least three different directions. The large corner balconies supplement the apartments with an expansive view into the distance. Up to three different-sized units surround the access core with stairs and lift, and can be organised differently on every floor. The entrances lie in the corners of the staircase and open onto triangular entrance halls. The living area lies straight ahead, the bedrooms along corridors
Typical floor plan
parallel to the sides of this triangular space. The corridor can provide access to several bedrooms, depending on its length. Storage space is provided on one side of the entrance hall. A further advantage of the triangular typology lies in its possibilities for urban planning. Although packed close together, they still provide generous views as well as sufficient external space between the buildings.
Ground floor
BDZ housing development Zurich, completion 2013 pool Architekten 60
Section
61
Communal staircase access 7 storeys 3 units per floor This house type exhibits a particularly rigorous structure. The individual units surround a central staircase and are accordingly divided into two zones. All the ancillary spaces, such as bathrooms, internal stairs, lobbies and storage spaces, are arranged along the interior wall next to the staircase. Separated by a corridor, the bedrooms all face outwards with the open kitchen and living area located in the corners of the building. The uniform position of the corridor in all units makes it possible to join together different combinations of rooms so that each apartment can be allocated a different number of bedrooms. Each floor contains up to three units, which can also be linked vertically across several stories via internal stairs. The rigorous inner structure is reflected in the strongly delineated vertical patterning of the façade.
'Malzturm', Hürlimann Areal Zurich, 2008 Thomas Schregenberger 62
3rd floor
1st floor
63
Longitudinal section
64
7th floor
65
Communal staircase access 6 storeys 1 unit per floor Each of the six storeys of this cylinder contains apartments with varied plans. On the ground floor there is only one unit with one bedroom. A communal staircase in the centre of the plan leads to an apartment that occupies the entire first floor and faces in all directions. The apartment contains three private rooms. The bathrooms in the centre of the plan are naturally ventilated via light wells.
2nd floor
The living room is located on the south side a few steps down, with a spacious living and dining area to the north. Two entrances are provided, allowing the large apartment to be divided into two smaller units by closing off two sections of wall. The second floor also has three private areas and is likewise dividable into two smaller units. The third and fourth floors contain maisonette apart-
1st floor
ments which switch sides on their upper storey so that each apartment has rooms facing in all directions.
Student project Darmstadt University Björn Schmidt 66
Ground floor
Cross section
4th floor
3rd floor
67
Communal staircase access 6 storeys 2 units per floor This house type features an unusual arrangement of small apartments which are wrapped around a central courtyard and are offset by half a storey. The access stairs and lift are arranged between two house types, providing access to two units on each floor. The apartment types themselves are inspired by houses in Korea which typically face onto a small central courtyard. This internal courtyard
Ground floor
functions as an energy regulator, in particular using natural geothermal cooling to regulate temperature levels. Each apartment has a split-level arrangement with two private bedrooms connected via a stair to a one-and-a-halfstorey living and kitchen/dining area. An adjoining veranda provides direct and indirect illumination for all the rooms. With the exception of the small internal
Lower ground floor
stairs, the apartments have no dedicated circulation space. The split-level arrangement has a corresponding effect on the apartments above. As a result, the loggias switch position with each floor, producing a lively and varied architectural structure.
Student project Darmstadt University Angèle Tersluisen 68
Basement
Longitudinal section
2nd floor
1st floor
69
Communal staircase access 6 storeys 4 to 6 units per floor The design interprets a freestanding cube, six storeys high, as a residential building for multiple residents. On each storey, four to six units of different sizes and disposition are arranged around a central access core. The units can be joined together or separated with minimal effort. As a result, apartments can be created with one, two or three private rooms. The apartments on the north side have a double-height gallery to compensate for the lack of direct illumination. The single room in the centre of the west face can be linked
5th floor
to one or the other of the adjacent apartments to the north or south. The proportion of dedicated circulation space within each floor plan is kept to a minimum by connecting one room directly to the next. In the few places where corridors are unavoidable, they double as wardrobes or walk-through closets. Small internal courtyards are cut deep into the building to provide natural illumination and ventilation for the bathrooms.
Student project Darmstadt University Björn Schmidt 70
4th floor
Cross section
6th floor
71
Communal staircase access 9 storeys 4 units per floor The point block building consists of a series of Z-shaped stacked and interlocking modules arranged around a common core. This basic organisational principle resolves the problem of apartments with disadvantageous orientation. The core contains two single flights of stairs arranged in opposite directions either side of a central lift. This allows both levels of the maisonette apartments to have their own entrance. Each apartment contains a double-height living and dining area with a gallery which serves as circulation. The kitchen, an open work area and a large loggia on the upper floor
Typical floor plan, type 2
all open onto this central zone. Each bedroom has its own bathroom as well as direct access to the loggia. As the bedrooms are accessed via the living areas, there is practically no need for dedicated circulation space within the apartment.
Typical floor plan, type 1
Student project Darmstadt University Sebastian Schaal 72
Section
Ground floor
73
Courtyard access 7 storeys 8 units per floor The apartments in this house type are accessed via long gallery walkways in the courtyard, reached via two diametrically arranged staircases with lifts. The large interior courtyard also serves to provide additional illumination for the sevenstorey housing block. The threeroom apartments follow an almost identical arrangement, differing only in depth. While to the west and the east the rectangular rooms are oriented lengthways to maximise the sun, the apartments on the south and north sides are turned sideways through 90 degrees. The apartments on the north side receive light from the south via the interior courtyard. The similarly sized living areas are not accorded a specific function so that they can be used as desired. The loggias adjoin the kitchen and dining areas which are arranged alongside the gallery walkway. Uniform window sizes with low window sills and large sliding segments contribute to a pleasant sense of urban living.
Java Island housing Amsterdam, 2001 Diener & Diener Architekten 74
Section
Typical floor plan 75
Courtyard access 8 storeys 8 units per floor An internal courtyard with gallery walkways provides access to eight apartments and two switchable rooms per floor. The small apartments on the long sides of the building have additional windows onto the courtyard to compensate for their single-aspect orientation. As the galleries are accessed via two separate staircases and lifts at each end, people will only rarely walk past these windows. This principle maintains the privacy of these apartments, despite the fact that their windows open onto the walkways. The apartments themselves have a classic arrangement with a hallway as internal circulation space. A large sliding door separates a bedroom or more private space from the living room, making the apartments well-suited for the elderly. The continuous loggias on both long sides of the building allow one to step outside directly and look over the surroundings.
Werdwies housing development Zurich, 2007 Adrian Streich Architekten 76
Section
Typical floor plan
77
Courtyard access 4 storeys 4 units per floor In this house type, single-storey apartments are stacked in four building volumes arranged around a central, atrium-like access courtyard. Each of the four units on each storey has its own large terrace which is accessible from the communal atrium and, like a front garden, mediates between the public and private areas of the house. Two of the units have two private bedrooms while two are smaller with only one bedroom per storey. The arrangement of the terraces as spacing elements
2nd floor
between the buildings allows each unit to stand independently and receive light from all directions. In some cases, two units share entrance zones, allowing them to be coupled to form very large units with two independent outdoor areas. The large apartment types can optionally be used as a shared flat for two separate parties, each with their own entrance.
Student project Darmstadt University Philippa Glaser 78
1st floor
Section
3rd floor
79
Courtyard access 6 storeys 3 to 6 units per floor The key typological characteristic of this house type is the stringent, concentric arrangement of rings that structure the floor plans. The innermost ring contains the access stairs, lift and bridges leading to the entrances to the apartments. The second ring houses all functional spaces and services such as the entrance hallways, storage spaces, toilets and bathrooms. The third ring is a narrow strip of cupboards that open onto the fourth ring, the main internal circulation space in the apartments. The outermost ring houses the living and private rooms
1st floor
as well as the loggias. This rigorous structure provides a basis for many different floor plan arrangements which can vary from floor to floor. The internal corridor zone can be closed off at different intervals to divide or combine sets of rooms or apartment units.
Ground floor
Student project Darmstadt University Johannes Lahme 80
Section
2nd floor
81
Hybrid 8 storeys 4 units per floor Hybrid housing projects in the city can make a valuable contribution to the urban vitality of their surroundings. The first two storeys of the eight-storey building contain maisonette apartments. The floors above are all single-level apartments of different sizes, with two or three rooms. On the two uppermost floors the apartments expand to form large two-storey penthouse apartments with correspondingly spacious roof terraces. The lift is the only vertical element; stair access begins at the entrance to the building on the west side before turning on the second floor to run north-south along the entire longitudinal axis of the building. A skylight and loggia on the sixth floor illuminate the interior staircase. Each apartment has its own large balcony, with privacy screens on either side, sometimes also roofed over.
Esplanade housing Munich, 2003 Steidle Architekten 82
1st floor
6th floor
Ground floor
2nd floor
83
Section
Top floor
84
85
Hybrid 4 storeys 3 to 4 units per floor This student project proposes an extremely flexible system for configuring apartment sizes. The basic principle involves a series of transverse circulation axes with stairs arranged in opposite directions which intersect with a longitudinal infrastructure axis.On the upper
Cross Section
floors, the stairs can optionally be incorporated into the internal circulation of an apartment. Each stair can potentially be accessed from the rooms on either side, making it possible to join together spaces in different constellations. One need only open or close off short wall segments. The floor plan here shows an arrangement with seven units in total. On the ground floor, there
Longitudinal section
are two one-and-a-half-room apartments as well as a larger apartment over several floors reached via two sets of stairs. The remaining larger apartments feature double-height spaces and galleries as well as loggias and large roof terraces. The building’s structural arrangement makes it possible to develop a wide variety of new floor plan constellations.
Ground floor
Student project Darmstadt University Sebastian Schaal 86
3rd floor
2nd floor
1st floor
87
Hybrid 5 storeys 1 to 2 units per floor When circulation spaces are sufficiently illuminated and spatially inviting, they have the potential to become spaces for interaction. This building type is organised around a wide and generously proportioned circulation space in the centre of the plan that spirals upwards. This space also contains the stairs which grow narrower with each floor and
2nd floor
open onto well-lit terraces. Five apartments of different sizes surround this open core and wrap around the corners of the building. The plan of the apartments and their allocation are reminiscent of those of detached houses arranged on a single floor. Some of the apartments have a split-level arrangement creating a lively interplay of living areas where large entrance lobbies open onto the central interaction areas.
1st floor
The cost of this arrangement is a less economic ratio of net floor area to gross volume of the entire building, and the lack of vertical lift access. The latter could be provided by using an alternative arrangement of the parking spaces.
Student project Darmstadt University Daniel Dolder 88
Ground floor
Longitudinal section
4th floor
3rd floor
89
Hybrid 10 storeys Variable number of units This building concept is based on a vision of society in which the building provides an open and dynamic structure that can respond to the continually changing needs and different social constellations of its residents. The building structure consists of narrow folded strips of floor plan that extend across different levels vertically within the building. Access cores are inserted between these strips which make it possible to reach the different levels and provide structural rigidity. The outward-facing openings provide space for more reclusive living areas which are
2nd floor
linked vertically with the inward-facing communal spaces. The stepped arrangement of such openings ensures that the spaces within receive adequate illumination and affords internal views through the structure. Greened roof terraces and open areas are interspersed throughout the volume of the building, providing quality outdoor environments as well as conditioning the building’s microclimate.
Diploma project Darmstadt University Tobias Katz 1st floor 90
Longitudinal section
91
High-rise 14 storeys 4 units per floor The access to these tower blocks results from the arrangement of the buildings in a group. The ground-level entrances lie to the north and south sides of the buildings, which explains the helix arrangement of the stairs and the long, narrow entrance corridors in the interior. The north and south sides of the building are closed façades punctured by square windows, while the west and east sides are fully glazed revealing the pattern of x-shaped structural supports behind – a structural arrangement that is unusual for housing projects. Sliding glazed panels allow the large loggias to be opened. Each storey contains three three-room apartments and one fourroom apartment of different sizes. The floor plans are also unusual, separating the bath and toilet, and containing a very small room for use as a child’s bedroom.
Chassé Park apartments Breda, 2001 Xaveer de Geyter 92
Typical floor plan, type 3
Typical floor plan, type 1
Typical floor plan, type 2
93
High-rise 18 storeys 3 to 5 units per floor The most apparent quality of this residential high-rise building is its waterside location. The unusual sculptural quality of the building is derived from the immediate requirements: as the middle zone of high-rise buildings is generally regarded as the least attractive, the form of the building reduces it to a minimum. The base of the building contains comparatively large apartments with a large number of bedrooms. The apartments in the middle zone have economical floor plans while the upper zone that cantilevers out over the water contains luxury and maisonette apartments. With the exception of the maisonettes, which face out over the water, all the apartments are arranged around the corners so that they face in two directions. The large apartments even face in three directions and the penthouses at the very top also have interior courtyards.
Silverline tower Almere, 2001 Claus en Kaan Architecten 94
2nd to 6th floor
7th floor
95
Section
96
11th, 13th, 15th floor
12th, 14th, 16th floor
97
High-rise 17 storeys 3 units per floor The three wings of the star-shaped floor plan of the building are accessed via an enclosed fire stair on the outside wall and a naturally illuminated and ventilated internal lobby. Each wing contains one, sometimes two apartments. The star-shaped arrangement means that each apartment has views in at least three directions and is there-fore optimally illuminated. A section of the large apartment in the south wing can be divided off into a separate flat which when combined with the flat above forms a small maisonette. Almost all the rooms in all the apartments are naturally illuminated and ventilated. Sliding doors can be used to separate the kitchen from the living room as required. Each apartment has its own loggia or balcony which is wide enough to form an outdoor living area adjacent to the living room. External glazing shields against wind and draughts, and allows the outdoor areas to be transformed into spacious garden rooms.
Star House 3 Munich, 2007 Steidle Architekten 98
Typical floor plan
Section
99
High-rise 21 storeys 3 to 4 units per floor The perforated tower block has a crossshaped floor plan with a central access core with lift shafts and parallel dogleg fire escape stairs. The apartments are arranged around this core in a clover-leaf fashion. The units follow an L-shaped plan and face in two directions. The larger apartments occupy two L-shaped elements, one containing the living area, kitchen and dining area, and the other the private bedrooms. These units have a view in three directions. Views between the loggias in front of the living area and the bedrooms create interesting spatial relationships between spaces that
Typical floor plan 2
are not connected internally. The strongly contrasting treatment of the different surfaces of the façade lends the building a distinct appearance and emphasises its function as an urban landmark.
De Rokade residential building Groningen, 2007 Arons en Gelauff Architecten 100
Typical floor plan 1
101
High-rise 22 to 31 storeys 6 units per floor The strongly rectangular volume of this complex with its uniform façades lends it the appearance of an office building. The spatial qualities of the six apartments on each floor are, therefore, all the more surprising. Each floor has two one-room apartments, two three-room apartments and two five-room apartments. The compact arrangement of the vertical access – a double-helix stair and three lifts – makes it possible to produce extremely economical floor plans. In all cases bedrooms and ancillary spaces are reached via the living rooms. The bathrooms and toilets are located internally around the access core next to the entrances. This strict spatial arrangement has the disadvantage that some apartments face northeast – only the view can compensate for their poor illumination. The apartments to the northwest have three west-facing bedrooms while the living and dining area faces north. The arrangement of the three towers means that they will partly shade one another. As a result, the only really good apartments are on the uppermost storeys.
'PopMoma' residential tower Beijing, 2007 Baumschlager & Eberle 102
Typical floor plan
103
High-rise 26 storeys 4 units per floor The division down the centre of the structure and the angular halving of the geometry of the floor plans lends the building a rhythmic structure as well as different levels of illumination. Each of the two cores features a helix staircase arrangement and two lifts that provide access to two units on each floor. The apartments at each end of the building are organised around a large living area that extends the entire depth of the building and opens onto a total of four bedrooms. Two of these have en-suite bathrooms; a further bathroom is located in a freestanding box in the centre of the large space. Where the two halves meet at the corner, the basic principle of the apartment typology varies. Here, there is no large, continuous living area, and one bedroom less. There are no loggias or balconies. The excellent illumination strategy gives the façade a regular grid with only a few toilets located in the interior of the building.
'Moma' residential tower Beijing, 2007 Baumschlager Eberle 104
Typical floor plan
Ground floor 105
High-rise 22 storeys 5 units per floor The unusual geometry of the building is dictated by its illumination. The splayed façades of the north face of the building ensure that the apartments behind receive light from the east or west respectively. The oblique, cut-off ends of the north wing of the tower building also allow sunlight from the south to spill onto the loggias at either end. The south wing of the building contains three sets of three-room apartments with different dimensions and room depths. This helps to modulate the building’s geometry and breaks down the mass of the building to more pleasing proportions. Both of the three-room apartments on the north side are accessed via a long corridor, illuminated by a deep slot in the building’s volume. The illumination of these apartments is supplemented by a jointly usable loggia in the centre of the north face that allows light from the west into the apartment on the east and vice versa. The kitchens all adjoin small balconies. All the other toilets and bathrooms are internal and without natural light.
KNSM apartment tower Amsterdam, 1995 Wiel Arets Architects 106
Typical floor plan
Ground floor
107
High-rise 28 storeys 2 units per floor Although the internal means of access in this tower block does not conform to European standards, this older building nevertheless represents something of a novelty. Five different maisonette apartments with differing room heights are stacked in an arrangement so complex that one can only marvel at the planning achievement. That said, the concept is quite straightforward: twostorey 'houses' with spacious terraces, small balconies and rooms on different levels aim to give the residents a sense of identity akin to that of a single-family house – albeit at lofty heights Two-storey loggias are located at the corners of the building and are the tallest rooms in the maisonette apartments. The apartments extend the entire depth of the building and, in addition to a spacious living and dining area, contain four individual bedrooms which are offset via a split-level arrangement by half a storey. The variety of apartment types and spatial interrelationships caters for almost every need.
Kanchanjunga tower Bombay, 1983 Charles Correa Associates 108
Typical floor plan 2
Typical floor plan 4
Typical floor plan 1
Typical floor plan 3
109
Section 110
111
High-rise 35 storeys 6 units per floor In central Europe, high-rise buildings are only rarely to be found in publicly subsidised housing. The floor plans of the apartments in this building are accordingly unspectacular and dictated predominantly by economic considerations: the building comprises 103-m²large three-room apartments as well as 66-m²-large two-room apartments. The southwest façade with large loggias clad with printed glass elements contrasts strongly with the smaller windows and folding elements of the northeast façade. The building is rotated slightly to avoid apartments that face only north, and the plans span the corner so that they receive light from at least two directions.Although the floor plan configurations are not especially innovative, the realisation of a residential high-rise building with non-luxury apartments signifies an approaching paradigm shift in the appreciation of this housing typology.
Wienerberg apartment high-rise Vienna, 2005 Delugan Meissl Architects 112
29th floor
Ground floor
113
High-rise 36 storeys 1 unit per floor This residential high-rise project, containing luxury apartments with almost 400m² floor area and nearly 160m² outdoor space per apartment, takes the idea of the single family house and replicates it vertically to spectacular effect. Each apartment spans three storeys. With each storey, the floor plan turns 90 degrees around a communal access core so that each apartment receives light from all sides. The apartments are luxurious beyond all measure and feature double-height spaces and broad flights of stairs. The apartments are reached via a lift that leads directly from the garage to the apartments. Although the proposed means of access does not conform to generally recognised safety requirements for high-rise buildings, the apartment sizes are unrealistic, and the greening of the terraced gardens will not be possible in the form shown, the audacity of the design idea is nevertheless forwardlooking and formulates new objectives for multi-storey housing.
Torre Cuajimalpa residential tower Mexico City, completion in 2011 Meir Lobaton and Kristjan Donaldson 114
Typical floor plan, type 2
Typical floor plan, type 1
115
Section
116
Typical floor plan, type 3
117
Bibliography Burgard, Roland (Ed.): Standards der Zukunft. Wohnbau neu gedacht. Vienna, New York: Spinger 2008 Bürkle, Johann Christof: Gigon / Guyer. Architekten. Arbeiten 1989 bis 2000. Sulgen: Niggli 2000 Bürkle, Johann Christof: Morger & Degelo, Architekten. Sulgen: Niggli 2000 Cepl, Jasper (Ed.): Kollhoff & Timmermann Architekten. Hans Kollhoff. Bauten und Projekte. Sulgen: Niggli 2006 Durban, Christoph; Koch, Michael; Kurz, Daniel: Mehr als Wohnen. Gemeinnütziger Wohnungsbau in Zürich 1907-2007. Zurich: gta 2007 Eisele, Johann; Kloft, Ellen: High-Rise Manual. Typology and Design, Construction and Technology. Basel, Boston, Berlin: Birkhäuser 2003 Faiferri, Massimo (Ed.): Wiel Arets: Works and Projects. London: Phaidon 2004 Förster, Wolfgang: Housing / Wohnen. In the 20th and 21st Centuries / Im 20. und 21. Jahrhundert. Munich, London, New York: Prestel 2006 Görner, Reiner; Bachmann Wolfgang: Steidle + Partner: KPMG-Gebäude (Edition Axel Menges). Munich: Edition Axel Menges 2003 Ibelings, Hans (Ed.): Claus en Kaan. Building. Rotterdam: NAI Publishers 2002 Krebs, Jan: Basics Design and Living. Basel, Boston, Berlin: Birkhäuser 2007 Krecl, Patrick: Aktuelle Architektur in Zürich. Zurich: Architekturbüchlein Zürich 2006 Lee, Uje (Ed.): New Apartments. Making the most for common space. Seoul: C3 topic 2008 Mehlhorn, Dieter-Jürgen; Tiedemann, Marita: Grundrissatlas Wohnungsbau Spezial. Lösungen und Projektbeispiele für: Schwierige Grundstücke, besondere Lagen, Erweiterungen, Umnutzung, Aufstockung. 2nd revised and expanded edition; Berlin: Bauwerk 2009 Mustersiedlung Hadersdorf. Neues Wohnen in Wien. With essays by Otto Kapfinger and Dietmar Steiner. Sulgen: Niggli 2009
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Per, Aurora Fernández; Mozas, Javier; Arpa, Javier: DBOOK. Density, Data, Diagrams, Dwellings. Análisis visual de 64 proyectos de vivienda colectiva / A Visual Analysis of 64 Collective Housing Projects. a+t Density series. Vitoria-Gasteiz: a+t 2007 Ruby, Ilka; Ruby, Andreas (Ed.): EM2N. Zurich: gta 2009 Schneider, Friederike (Ed.): Floor Plan Manual Housing. 3rd revised and expanded edition; Basel, Boston, Berlin: Birkhäuser 2004 Schittich, Christian (Ed.): In Detail. High-Density Housing. Concepts, Planning, Construction. Basel, Boston, Berlin: Birkhäuser 2006 Temel, Robert; Waechter-Böhm, Liesbeth: Delugan Meissl 2. Concepts, Projects, Buildings. 2 volumes; Basel, Boston, Berlin: Birkhäuser 2002 Waechter-Böhm, Liesbeth: Carlo Baumschlager - Dietmar Eberle. Vienna, New York: Springer 1996 Waechter-Böhm, Liesbeth (Ed.): Carlo Baumschlager, Dietmar Eberle. House-ing. Vienna, New York: Springer 2000
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Illustration credits Günter Pfeifer
Gilbert Fastenaekens
8
92
VG Bild-Kunst
Luuk Kramer
11
94
FLC / VG Bild-Kunst
Stefan Müller-Naumann
12
99
Charles Correa
Allard van der Hoek
16, 108, 111
101
Åke E:son Lindman
Hélène Binet
21
106
G. G. Kirchner
Hertha Hurnaus
23
112
Ruedi Walti
Meir Lobaton + Kristjan Donaldson
25, 33, 53
114, 117
Florian Holzherr 26 Roger Frei 31, 63, 64, 76 Pez Hejduk 35, 37 Iwan Baan 39, 41 Christian Richters 43, 74 Heinrich Helfenstein 45, 51 Valentin Jeck 47 Christian Weyell 49 Hannes Henz 54, 57 Eduard Hueber 59, 103, 104 pool Architekten 61 Franziska von Gagern 82, 85 Tobias Katz 91
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