"Organization type ": Estudio

DeFlat Kleiburg

1

DeFlat Kleiburg

Urban Design Environments Liveability Equity

Main objectives of the project

De Flat is a groundbreaking renovation of Kleiburg, one of the largest apartment buildings in the Netherlands. It consists of 500 apartments, spanning 400 meters in length and 10 + 1 stories high. Consortium De FLAT saved the building from demolition by transforming it into a Klusflat, where residents renovate their own apartments. Kleiburg is located in the Bijlmermeer, an Amsterdam residential expansion influenced by CIAM.

The renovation focused on preserving the main structure while leaving the apartments unfinished, creating a new housing business model in the Netherlands. Instead of individualizing and differentiating the building, the goal was to embrace unity and revitalize the entire structure. Concrete additions were removed, restoring the original horizontal balusters and opening up the facade. Sandblasting revealed the beauty of the pre-cast concrete balusters.

The storage spaces were relocated to each floor, freeing up the ground level for social activities and integrating the building with the surrounding park. Double-height connections were created to enhance scenic relationships. Energy-saving motion detectors were used for gallery illumination, allowing the individual apartments to shine.

Overall, De Flat showcases the intrinsic beauty of the building, emphasizing unity, and creating a unique housing concept.

Date

  • 2016: Rehabilitación

Stakeholders

  • Architect: XVW architectuur
  • Architect: NL Architects

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Amsterdam
Country/Region: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Description

De Flat is an innovative renovation of one of the biggest apartment buildings in the NL called Kleiburg, a bend slab with 500 apartments, 400 meter long, 10 + 1 stories high. Consortium De FLAT rescued the building from the wracking ball by turning it into a Klusflat meaning that the inhabitants renovate their apartments by themselves. Kleiburg is located in the Bijlmermeer, a CIAM inspired residential expansion of Amsterdam.

A renewal operation started mid nineties. Many of the characteristic honeycomb slabs were replaced by suburban substance, by ‘normality’.

Kleiburg was the last building in the area still in its original state; in a way it is the “last man standing in the war on modernism”.

The idea is to renovate the main structure -elevators, galleries, installations- but to leave the apartments unfinished and unfurnished: no kitchen, no shower, no heating, no rooms. This minimizes the initial investments and as such creates a new business model for housing in the Netherlands.

Most attempts to renovate residential slabs in the Bijlmer had focused on differentiation. The objective: to get rid of the uniformity, to ‘humanize’ the architecture. By many, repetition was perceived as evil.

But after three decades of individualization, fragmentation, atomization it seems an attractive idea to actually strengthen unity: Revamp the Whole!

It is time to embrace what is already there, to reveal and emphasize the intrinsic beauty, to Sublimize! In the eighties three shafts had been added including extra elevators: they looked ‘original’ but they introduced disruptive verticality. It turned out that these concrete additions could be removed: the elevators could actually be placed inside the cores, the brutal beauty of the horizontal balusters could be restored.

On the galleries the division between inside and outside was rather defensive: closed, not very welcoming. The closed parts of the facade were replaced with double glass. By opening-up the facade the ‘interface’ becomes a personal carrier of the identity of the inhabitants, even with curtains closed…

Sandblasting the painted balusters revealed the sensational softness of the pre-cast concrete: better than travertine!

Originally the storage spaces for all the units were located on ground level. The impenetrable storerooms created a ‘dead zone’ at the foot of the building. By positioning the storage on each floor we could free up the ground floor for inhabitation, activating it to create a social base and embedding the ‘beast’ in the park.

More generous, double height connections between both sides of the building were formed creating scenic relationships.

Gallery illumination has a tendency to be very dominant in the perception of apartment buildings with single loaded access. The intensity of the lamps that light up the front doors on the open-air corridors overrules the glow of the individual units. The warm ‘bernstein’ radiance of the apartments is ‘obscured’ by a screen of cold lights. But what if the gallery lights worked with energy saving motion detectors? The individual units now define the appearance. Every passer-by a shooting star!

Authors:

LIFE REUSING POSIDONIA/ 14 social dwellings in Sant Ferran, Formentera

0

LIFE REUSING POSIDONIA/ 14 social dwellings in Sant Ferran, Formentera

Mismatches Climate change
Urban Design Quality

Main objectives of the project

Life Reusing Posidonia is a Climate Change Adaptation Project funded by the European LIFE + program. It integrates Heritage, Architecture, and Climate Change to explore sustainable solutions using local resources. The project focuses on reusing Posidonia, a type of seaweed, as a key material throughout the building.

Date

  • 2017: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: Joaquín Torrebella Nadal
  • Architect:  Alberto Rubido Piñón
  • Promotor: Institut Balear de l’Habitatge (IBAVI)

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Formentera
Country/Region:

Description

Life Reusing Posidonia is a Climate Change Adaptation Project financed by the European LIFE + program for nature conservation projects. The project links Heritage, Architecture and Climate Change with the aim to recover the local resources as a cultural approach in the contemporary research for sustainable solutions.

Traditional architecture has been a constant reference, not for its forms, but as a way of working. By doing so, we look for the available local resources: the juniper trees are now fortunately protected and the sandstone quarries (marès) have been depleted. Therefore, we only have what arrives by sea: Posidonia. So we propose a shift in approach which has been applied to every single part of the building:

“Instead of investing in a chemical plant located 1,500 km away, we could invest the same amount in local labor, who should lay out the Posidonia to dry under the sun and compact it by hand. Sea salt acts as natural biocide and is completely environmentally friendly.” The use of dry Posidonia as thermal insulation reminds us that we do not live in a house but an ecosystem.
1. TO DEMONSTRATE:

The viability of constructing the prototype with an additional cost of 5% over the usual price of the IBAVI social housing buildings.

2. TO REDUCE:

63% of CO2 emissions during the construction of the building.
775,354.6 kg/CO2 have been saved. Calculation performed through the TCQ program of ITEC.
75% of useful energy during the lifetime of the building.
Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB), with maximum consumption of 15 kWh/m²/year (17,226.30 kWh/year).
The average thermal comfort measured in situ is 21ºC in winter and 26ºC in summer.
60% water consumption.
Maximum limit 88 l/person and day. Average consumption based on the tenants’ bills.
50% waste production during the construction phase
36.98 tones have been saved due to in-site reusing measures.

3. ORGANIZATION & PROGRAM

The two street facades facing main sea breezes (North & East) to cool in summer allow dividing the volume into two separate blocks with different orientations.
The entrance to all homes is directly on to the street.
All the dwellings face two directions and cross ventilation thanks to the layout of the living room in a Z shape and a bedroom at each corner.

All the materials have been selected through a market study based on their embodied energy and the transport cost to Formentera.

We tested solutions based on the recovery of eco-friendly local artisan industries with KM 0 raw materials, which are in danger of extinction. Usually these are small family companies that do not have eco-labels, but they can easily be inspected in person. The combined use of these available local materials with those imported that do have environmental labels is a replicable model that makes it possible to reduce more than 60% of CO2 emissions during the works. For instance, load-bearing walls with non-reinforced lime foundations, laminated wood slabs, white lime plaster on facades, sandstone cistern vaults, handmade glazed tiles, bricks baked in biomass mortar kilns, etc.

All indoor carpentry and the shutters on the ground floor were made of reused second hand doors and wood from the ‘Deixalles’ waste-management plant in Mallorca.

The organization of spaces and formal decisions have been the result of knowing the advantages and limitations of natural materials, which are more fragile. This fragility has become a design opportunity.

Authors:

Residential and studio building at the former Berlin flower market

0

Residential and studio building at the former Berlin flower market

Urban Design Environments
Promotion and production Innovation

Main objectives of the project

This project aimed to create a building group at the former Berlin flower market, offering owner-occupied artists' workshops, apartments, cooperative housing, and studios. The architects ifau and HEIDE & VON BECKERATH collaborated with Selbstbaugenossenschaft Berlin eG to provide live and work units for artists and creative professionals. The site's central location and low land price allowed for cross-subsidization, enabling low rents for cooperative spaces. The building's layout and design were developed collaboratively with the building group, incorporating communal facilities. The architectural concept included horizontal access cores, atriums, and flexible floor plans to meet occupants' needs. The building utilized cost-efficient prefabricated components and environmentally sustainable materials. The design also allowed for future conversion, retrofitting, and adaptation. The project included 66 apartments, 17 studios, and three commercial units designed to accommodate individual preferences.

Date

  • 2018: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: ifau
  • Architect:  HEIDE & VON BECKERATH

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Berlin
Country/Region: Berlin, Germany

Description

Owner-occupied artists’ workshops and apartments, cooperative housing and studios, space provision for social associations and commerce were part of the programme, which would establish a new building group and hence lay the foundation for the residential and studio building at the former Berlin flower market. The main idea for the project, which was initiated by the architects ifau and HEIDE & VON BECKERATH in cooperation with the Selbstbaugenossenschaft Berlin eG, was to offer a mix of live and work units that would meet the needs of artists and creative professionals. The starting point for the building’s layout and design was a collaborative and socially mixed utilisation concept. Moreover, the comparatively low land price allowed the cross-subsidisation of cooperative residential and studio spaces within the project, which can be let at a sustainable low rent. The decision-making process determining the development of a binding standard for fittings and the type and position of several communal facilities took place in close collaboration with the building group.

The site’s central location near Friedrichstraße suggests that the present mix of uses, which includes inexpensive housing in the neighbourhood, is at risk in the foreseeable future. To redress this trend a concept-linked award procedure was launched for the flower market site and an innovative multi-stage qualification process was developed, whose aim was to support the ongoing project and assure the quality of architecture and urban development. The architectural concept is based on three connected horizontal access cores as well as the relation between the building envelope and five internal atriums. These parameters describe and inform the type of units and integrate the building into the neighbourhood. The access at ground level accommodates access to various studios, a garden, communal utility rooms and a basement. The access on level 1 is linked to green atriums and provides access to apartments on two levels. Another access route is situated on level 4 as well as a shared space and a roof terrace. All apartments and studios can be combined and some of them even linked directly in the design development stage to adapt the spatial concept to the occupiers’ needs. The structure is a combined cross-wall and column construction. The underlying principle is that units in the centre of the building are arranged in modules over a depth of 23 m while units at the ends of the building relate to their surroundings. All ground floor spaces are transparent and can be extended into the adjacent public areas. The building envelope combines ceramic elements, windows and fixed glazing in its facade. Generous prefabricated balconies are situated in the south and west. The building is designed with cost-efficient prefabricated components and could be mostly constructed to the energy efficiency standard 70 of the German Energy Saving Ordinance using mainly environmentally sustainable building materials. Access concepts and floor plans are flexible to accommodate possible conversion and retrofitting as well as adaptation to changing demands. The design of the floor plans for the 66 apartments is both demand-based and user-oriented. Seventeen studios and three commercial units are designed as blanks so that the different needs of individual occupants can be incorporated in the standard of fittings.

Authors:

Performative Brise- Soleil

0

Performative Brise- Soleil

Urban Design Services and infrastructure Liveability

Main objectives of the project

The Performative Brise-Soleil transforms a challenging housing location into a space of abundance. It is part of an urban neighborhood offering affordable housing, social amenities, and commercial spaces. The vertical organization within the building allows for diverse flat types, including cluster-living and housing cooperatives. The Performative Brise-Soleil, a vertical "garden-shelf," creates a three-dimensional sphere of free space while serving as a noise shield. It acts as a parametric sculpture along the highway, deflecting noise and providing access to the apartments. The concrete structure reflects the building's inner complexity and incorporates open and closed surfaces. The use of climbing plants adds a layer of greenery to the building over time.

Date

  • 2018: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: StudioVlayStreeruwitz ZT-GMBH

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Vienna
Country/Region: Austria, Vienna

Description

Translating constraints into spatial abundancy: Vertical free space for subsidized housing The architectural invention of the Performative Brise-Soleil turns an “impossible” housing location into exciting spatial opportunities, undermining the scarce realm of subsidized housing with abundant free spaces. The project is part of a new urban neighbourhood offering affordable housing (about 600 rental apartments) with additional social, educational and commercial uses in the ground floor. The bar-type (156 apts) forms the neighbourhood’s western edge, shielding off the highway-noise from the inner-area. Its ground floor provides a kindergarten, a workshop for handicapped people, a communal gym-space, and an office for caretakers of homeless people.

The complex vertical organisation within the bar allows for the stacking of diverse flat types, enabling a wide range of living-models, including cluster-living and housing cooperatives. The complexity’s common denominator is the Performative Brise-Soleil: a vertical “garden-shelf”, whose significant concrete structure converts the protective idea of a noise-shield into a 3-dimensional sphere of experiencing free space.

The Performative Brise-Soleil is a design-coup, which converts the defensive obligation of noise-protection into an inviting cosmos of co-living: the combination of type-mutation (vertical differentiation), landscape-infiltration, and living diversity transforms the noise-shield-bar into a socially sustainable and spatially generous vertical neighbourhood. Along the highway the Brise-Soleil represents itself as a parametric sculpture meticulously designed for orchestrating the proximity between highway and living. On the lower levels, a specific configuration of patios and balconies deflects the noise. Above, open access corridors, accompanied by sliding glass elements and storage boxes, offer both access and free space to the apartments, via bridges, framing single atriums above the “commons”, a generous neighbourhood-terrace on 5th floor. The Brise-Soleil reflects the curved building’s inner complexity: a stacking of different flat-types and landscapes, provoking synergies for a mixed housing program, which, aside from usual living models, involves housing-cooperatives, cluster-living, and special forms of generation-living. Construction and materiality emphasize the vertical diversity of flat-types. The concrete structure is used to extrapolate vertical diversity: the bar type’s depth alternates between 13 and 23m. Spatially, structurally and physically, the face of the Performative Brise-Soleil is the most significant element, hiding and expressing the building’s inner complexity at the same time. Its texture of open and closed surfaces consists of concrete as the main ingredient, reflecting the concept of adding value to a realm of scarcity. The concrete’s surfaces alternate between rough/raw, as created by the nonchalance of the construction-team, and elegant/noble, provided by a prefabricated relief of irregular vertical lines. Single glazing is discretely inserted for noise protection where necessary. Along the common terrace runs a plant-trough made of galvanized steel that accentuates the gentle curve of the building. From this trough, climbing plants grow along vertical cables, continuing the personalized greenery from the lower balconies and patios, which in time will cover the building with a layer of leaves, adding a secondary materiality.

Authors:

Occidentului 40

0

Occidentului 40

Urban Design Environments Quality Inclusion

Main objectives of the project

A vertically moving house in Bucharest.
This building on Occidentului Street in Bucharest blends well with the neighborhood by decomposing its volume into smaller houses of varying heights. The design features split-level apartments with staggered floors and open facades that showcase the interior life. The street facade reflects the structural order and distribution of cells, while small balconies occupy the contact area with the vertical structure.

Date

  • 2017: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: ADN Birou de Arhitectura

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Bucharest
Country/Region: Bucharest, Romania

Description

Ubicado en una calle típica de la zona central de Bucarest, con una imagen y densidad similares a las de las metrópolis occidentales clásicas, el edificio contribuye a unir el frente. La descomposición del volumen en cuerpos más pequeños de diferentes alturas suaviza el efecto en el vecindario y la calle, preservando la atmósfera urbana típica de Bucarest.

La calle Occidentului es una calle típica de la zona central de Bucarest, con villas aisladas en medio del patio, casas de vagones, edificios de la época de entreguerras e inserciones de los años 60 y 70. El volumen general se descompone a través de varios movimientos y retranqueos en una fila de casas más pequeñas con diferentes alturas que secuencian la percepción del edificio y matizan la relación con las casas vecinas y el entorno fragmentario. La intervención propone una comunidad de 20 apartamentos y una unidad comercial en la parcela amplia pero relativamente estrecha. Todas las unidades son transversales y de doble orientación, y se organizan en niveles divididos. En lugar de los típicos pisos apilados, aquí los pisos y techos se mueven y generan una serie de pisos escalonados, diferencias de nivel y variaciones en altura y profundidad, lo que le otorga a los apartamentos una dimensión vertical de la vivienda.

Las fachadas abiertas reflejan la vida interior variada del edificio y buscan cierto tipo de "transparencia"; la disposición de los apartamentos define y está definida por el orden estructural del edificio y se revela claramente hacia el exterior.

En lugar de plataformas generales, aquí los pisos y techos se desplazan, creando apartamentos de varios niveles con espacios de una, una y media o dos alturas. La fachada de la calle expresa el orden estructural y la distribución de las celdas. Sus elegantes proporciones reflejan la armonía de las relaciones interiores.

Los grandes paneles de vidrio con marcos metálicos no ocupan toda la bahía. El área de contacto con la estructura vertical está ocupada por pequeños balcones, otro tipo de espacios al aire libre, diferentes de las terrazas o el piso superior retirado.

Authors:

85 Social Housing Units in Cornellà

0

85 Social Housing Units in Cornellà

Urban Design Services and infrastructure Environments Quality Liveability Inclusion

Main objectives of the project

85 social housing units in Cornellà de Llobregat (Barcelona) utilize 8,300 m2 of zero-kilometer timber from the Basque Country. The building features a courtyard that connects intermediate spaces, with a porch on the ground floor serving as an entrance and a meeting point for occupants. The floor plan maximizes space utilization by eliminating corridors, and the rooms are arranged in a matrix layout. The structure incorporates cross-laminated timber walls and laminated timber columns and beams. The façade utilizes an electro welded wire mesh construction system for sun shading and terrace handrails. The timber volume per square meter is optimized at 0.24m3/m2 for economic feasibility in social housing.

Date

  • 2020: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: peris+toral.arquitectes

Location

Continent: Europe
City: l'Hospitalet de Llobregat
Country/Region: Barcelona, Spain

Description

85 dwellings, 543 spaces and 2172 corners For the 10,000 m2 of built surface area of the new building in Cornellà de Llobregat (Barcelona), consisting of 85 social housing units laid out on five levels, a total of 8,300 m2 of zero kilometre timber from the Basque Country has been used. The bases of this new residential building are a matrix of communicating rooms that eliminates corridors to guarantee optimum use of the floor plan and the use of timber to enable the industrialization of elements, improved quality of construction and a major reduction of deadlines and C02 emissions.

The building is organized around a courtyard that articulates a sequence of intermediate spaces. On the ground floor, a porch opens up to the city, anticipating the doorway of the building and filtering the relationship between public space and the courtyard that acts as a small plaza for the community. The four vertical communication shafts are situated at the four corners of the courtyard so that all the occupants converge and meet in the plaza, which represents a safe space from a gender perspective. On the model floor, entry to the apartments is from the communication shaft and the private terraces that make up the ring of outdoor spaces that overlook the courtyard. The building’s general floor plan is a matrix of communicating rooms. There are 114 spaces per floor, all of similar dimensions, eliminating both private and community corridors to make the maximum use of the floor space. The server spaces are laid out in the central ring, while the rest of the rooms, of undifferentiated use and size (13 m2), in the façade, accommodate different forms of occupation. The surface area and proportion allow generous corners as a support that facilitates the appropriation of space. The structure is mainly determined by setting 3,60m short spans, matching the matrix of rooms. Therefore, multiple supports uphold CLT slabs: cross-laminated timber bearing walls in the façade and a system of laminated timber columns and beams in the centred bays. The structure is optimised by compensating momentums with multiple supports and cantilevers at all ends.

In order to achieve economic feasibility in social housing, timber volume needed by built squared metre is been optimised down to 0,24m3/m2

The façade’s construction system and the structure joints are both solved by mechanical bonds, avoiding the use of scaffolds. The exterior building skin is built up with electro welded wire mesh, holding/bearing sun shading and filtering sights. By bending, this element improve steadiness and at the same time it shapes the terrace’s handrail.

Authors:

Fundació Mies van der Rohe Barcelona

Loans to co-finance affordable housing – Council of Europe Development Bank

0

Loans to co-finance affordable housing – Council of Europe Development Bank

Mismatches
Financing
Urban Design

Main objectives of the project

The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) is a multilateral development bank founded in 1956 by eight member states of the Council of Europe. It has expanded to include 42 countries as shareholders. CEB's mission is to support socially oriented investment projects that promote inclusive growth, support vulnerable groups, and prioritize environmental sustainability. The bank raises funds through borrowing on international capital markets and has a strong credit rating. It co-finances affordable housing projects, including through partnerships with national and international organizations. For example, it is part of an alliance in France to simplify access to funds and expand investments in social housing. CEB has also supported housing projects in the Republic of Moldova.

Date

Stakeholders

  • Promotor: Council of Europe Development Bank

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region:

Description

The Council of Europe Development Bank is a multilateral development bank with an exclusively social mandate. It was founded in 1956 by eight member States of the Council of Europe to provide support for refugees and displaced persons in Europe. The Bank has since expanded to include 42 countries which are its shareholders and are eligible to borrow from it.

The mission of CEB has also expanded to encompass supporting the implementation of socially oriented investment projects which promote:

Inclusive growth: working to guarantee access to economic opportunities, ensuring a prosperous future for all
Support for vulnerable groups: helping to integrate the most vulnerable citizens and nurture a more diverse society
Environmental sustainability: supporting a liveable society that promotes environmental sustainability and mitigates or adapts to climate change.
CEB is not funded by its member States, rather its funding is raised by borrowing on international capital markets. The bank’s credit rating is strong and stable at “AA+”, reflecting access to less expensive financing on capital markets.[1] It lends to member States, co-financing eligible social projects. Housing is an important part of the bond issuance programme of CEB. The proceeds of its Social Inclusion Bond, issued since April 2017, are used to finance social housing, education and vocational training, as well as job creation and preservation, in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. To date, 33 per cent of all proceeds, or EUR 495 million, have been allocated to housing projects. This has led to more than 10,600 housing units being built or renovated out of Social Inclusion Bond proceeds alone.[2]

CEB co-finances affordable housing and regularly partners with national and international organizations who contribute any remaining finance required. For instance, it is a partner in an alliance between public investment banks and social housing providers in France (Alliance européenne pour un logement sociale durable et inclusif), which was formed in 2020 to simplify access to funds, coordinate strategic investment and expand the volume of investments in social housing. This new partnership involves the French Banque des Territoires, CEB, the European Investment Bank, and not-for-profit housing providers. They combine their expertise to access European funding and make long-term investments in public social infrastructure. Additional loans will accelerate social housing construction in economically challenged areas, providing more investment to house people in precarious situations, often including support and health services[3].

Another example of recent CEB-supported activities comes from the Republic of Moldova.[4] CEB financing is being used to improve and increase the housing stock, with beneficiaries including young families; individuals or families in which at least one of its members works in a budgetary institution or works in the field of public services; families with at least three minor children; or persons with severe disabilities. Phase 1 (2008-2011) of the project comprised of the construction of 240 apartment units in four buildings. Phase II (2013-2021), which has an approved budget of EUR 13.4 million, is nearly completed. The total cost of the project is EUR 20.4 million, of which the CEB participation is 65 per cent of the total cost. CEB provides a loan for up to 20 years, including a grace period of 5 years. The contribution of the Republic of Moldova, realized through local authorities, is 35 per cent and consists of in-kind and financial contribution. The project will complete the construction of 667 social housing facilities in total.

Links

Authors:

8 House

0

8 House

Urban Design Urban fabrics Services and infrastructure Environments Quality Inclusion

Main objectives of the project

8 House is a 62,000 m2 building that combines suburban tranquility with urban energy. It offers a variety of accommodations, including apartments, penthouses, and townhouses. The design by BIG incorporates elements of townhouses and functionalistic architecture, creating a cohesive structure with varying heights and abundant light. The building features communal facilities and a passage connecting surrounding areas. The apartments enjoy views and fresh air, while the commercial spaces interact with the street. With 476 residential units and 10,000 m2 of businesses, 8 House emphasizes durability and low maintenance materials. It optimizes natural light, heating, and ventilation, and incorporates green roofs for environmental benefits and visual appeal.

Date

  • 2010: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Copenhagen
Country/Region: Copenhagen, Denmark

Description

8 House is where you will find the attention to detail embedded in a larger context. Here, closeness thrives in the 62,000 m2 building. This is where the tranquility of suburban life goes hand in hand with the energy of a big city, where business and housing co-exist. 8 House is where common areas and facilities merge with personal life, and where you can reach for the stars at the top of the building’s green areas. The building’s housing program offers three kinds of accommodation: apartments of varied sizes, penthouses and townhouses. With a mix of suburban tranquillity and urban energy, the townhouse and its open housing is ideal for the modern family, while singles and couples may find the apartments more attractive. And for those who live life to the fullest, the penthouses function as a playground with fantastic views over the canal and Southern Copenhagen.

8 House is designed by BIG who has been partly inspired by classic townhouses as well as the open, democratic nature of functionalistic architecture. The architects have designed a long, coherent house with immense differences in height, creating a strong inflow of light and a unique local community with small gardens and pathways. The bow-shaped building creates two distinct spaces, separated by the centre of the bow which hosts the communal facilities of 500 m2. At the very same spot, the building is penetrated by a 9 meter wide passage that connects the two surrounding city spaces: the park area to the west and the channel area to the east. Instead of dividing the different functions of the building – for both habitation and trades – into separate blocks, the various functions have been spread out horizontally. The apartments are placed at the top while the commercial program unfolds at the base of the building. As a result, the different horizontal layers have achieved a quality of their own: the apartments benefit from the view, sunlight and fresh air, while the office leases merge with life on the street. 8 House, 52,000 m2 accommodates 476 residential units. The base consists of 10,000 m2 businesses, spread out at street level alongside the surrounding main streets, and the Northern court yard that houses an office building. 8 House is partly for rent and partly residential property varying from 65 to 144 m2. Emphasis has been placed on using materials which have a long durability and require little to no maintenance such as hardwood windows, concrete construction, oak flooring, metal panelling, and granite pavers.

The shape of 8 House which is literally “hoisted up” in the North East corner and “squeezed down” at the South West corner, allowing light and air to enter the court yard in the middle, optimizing daylight and natural heating for all inhabitants along with natural ventilation; Rainwater is collected in a storm water management system. Two sloping green roofs totaling 1,700 m2 are strategically placed to reduce the urban heat island effect as well as providing the visual identity to the project and tying it back to the adjacent farmlands.

Authors:

Ethiopia – JIFAR Association

0

Ethiopia – JIFAR Association

Main objectives of the project

Ethiopia, located on the Horn of Africa, is rich in archaeological vestiges and is the second most populous country in Africa. Oromia, the largest region in Ethiopia, is known for its highlands and agricultural advantages. However, due to internal conflicts and drought, Oromia is facing a significant population emigration, leaving families in dire conditions. The JIFAR Association aims to provide aid, including nutrition, medical assistance, and education, while constructing sustainable villages using local materials and traditional techniques. Your contribution is crucial in saving lives and helping people regain their dignity and self-sufficiency.

Date

Stakeholders

  • Promotor: JIFAR Association

Location

Continent: Africa
Country/Region: Ethiopia

Description

Cradle of humanity, Ethiopia is located on the Horn of Africa, crossed by the Great Rift Valley, there is an archaeological vestige more than 3 million years old, including the oldest hominids (Lucy) 3.18 million years old and Ardipithecus Kadabba, a 5.2 to 5.8 million year old hominid. Second most populated country in Africa, 115 million inhabitants, 85% of whom are under 20, Ethiopia has common borders with Eritrea (former province) to the north, Somalia to the east-south-east, Sudan to the northwest, South Sudan to the west-southwest, Kenya to the south and the Republic of Djibouti to the northeast.

Oromia is the largest region of the country (353,960 km2) as well as the most populated, the administrative capital of which is Addis Ababa, other cities such as Jimma, Welega, Haramaya and Ambo are home to the largest universities. Mainly made up of highlands, Oromia is known for the origin of coffee and its biodiversity, a climatology that favors agriculture all year round.

Despite all these advantages and in the absence of rational management of natural resources, Oromia is today experiencing one of the largest emigrations of its population in the world, caused by internal armed conflicts and persistent drought.

This emigration has thrown hundreds of thousands of families, women and children, onto the roads, who find themselves without shelter, without food or medical aid, left to fend for themselves in inhuman conditions.

JIFAR Association is a non-profit association, with a humanitarian vocation, founded by friends of Ethiopia including the Bon-Abajobir Abajifar family, which aims to come to the aid of the population of Oromia thanks to aid from all nature (nutritional, medical and educational), and the construction of integrated villages with permanent habitats built from biosourced materials (BTC, rammed earth, wood, bamboo, etc.) and local traditional know-how. Modular and autonomous, equipped with devices for managing natural resources and recycling waste, these scalable and modular habitats adapt to welcoming families of all profiles.

Your contribution to our action is dear and essential to us because it saves thousands of souls from famine and despair, by offering them the means to develop their human resources and the acquisition of self-sufficiency capable of restore their dignity and taste for life.

Authors:

Cité Internationale (First Phase)

0

Cité Internationale (First Phase)

Main objectives of the project

Date

  • 1995: Construction

Stakeholders

  • Architect: Renzo Piano Building Workshop

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Lyon
Country/Region: France, Lyon

Description

Authors: