Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Design]
the budget and restricted its typology to open block (slabs) as expected in most
social housing schemes. Was this the right answer for this specific condition?
Since the competition first phase asked for an urban plan for 950 units we focus
our efforts away from design and more towards a system or a pattern, in a way
continuing the explorations of spatial systems initiated by Christopher Alexander
in the PREVI project of Lima from 1969. But we restricted our patterns to
architecture and spatial elements only. The design called Vivienda de Patron
seeks to find an answer for a type of architecture that could be a link between
the European urbanism and the Arab informal settlement in the surroundings, a
pattern that combines and merges the spatial systems of both ways of making.
Therefore it is both a labyrinth and a grid, it has a small scale in its units but it is
also combined with a mega plinth for infrastructure such as parking and storage,
it uses intimate terraces for private and common use with open squares,
intimate streets and urban corner shops. The target is to build architecture
generous enough to be attractive and comfortable for ANY citizen regardless of
its social or economic background. Most of the apartments have corner living
rooms, all have long views between blocks, materials seldom used for social
housing such as marble flooring, and other practical benefits such as covered
parking places and storage for all units.