Description
A high and spacious colonnade flanked by a parallel building with communal facilities forms the communal backbone for three residential towers positioned in a staggered row. The colonnade connects the towers with the entrance road and the surrounding university campus. From the colonnade, three two-level walkways branch off, framing patchwork-like arranged gardens and leading on the lower level to the multi-story portico-like entrance foyer. Their upper level connects the towers to shared amenities such as a swimming pool and playground on the roof of the parallel building. These communal spaces are complemented in the towers by roof gardens and large cantilevered balconies on every 8th floor.
Deep incisions into the building volumes, open access areas, and an exterior envelope with plant trellises and shading elements form an H-shaped cluster floor plan. The resulting open, multi-layered structure is green on all sides, naturally ventilated, and adequately shaded to facilitate a tropical lifestyle.
The apartments on the north side are laid out with an efficient floor plan subtly organized into three tiers. The sleeping quarters are directed to the north, while an open living room is located near the entrance. Three adjoining niches here form the hallway, kitchen, and dining area, and a deeply drawn-in loggia to the east or west can be connected with the apartment interior by opening folding doors. On the building’s south side, an almost identical floor plan is treated slightly differently in the unit’s first tier. Here, the living area is arranged in such a way to potentially allow the division of what would otherwise be a 5-room apartment into a 2- and a 3-room unit with separate entrances. The units can be easily connected to one another at will. In this manner, the often unpredictable needs of changing faculty members and their families can be taken into account.
Drawings
Floor plan diagram, scale 1:500
Site plan
Second floor with bridges connecting to communal facilities
Northwest elevation, scale 1:2000
Northeast elevation, section through colonnade and service builidng, scale 1:2000
Typical floor, scale 1:200
Photos
Exterior view of ground floor
Exterior view
Originally published in: Oliver Heckmann, Friederike Schneider with Eric Zapel (eds.), Floor Plan Manual Housing, fifth revised and expanded edition, Birkhäuser, 2018.