Description
A shared roof over a patchwork-like cluster of houses is equally vision and program. Below the houses, all raised by an entire level, an open space is created to foster the development of a lively and social milieu. The lofty covered spaces connect laterally to the access paths and serve as parking spaces and access points to the open staircases. They also, however, can be adapted by individuals or groups of residents in the form of community organizations, shops, and small businesses – the pragmatic consideration being that under a single roof, anything can be built out or changed at will.
Starting on the second level on both sides of the open staircases are the two-story base units of all apartment types – in which the bathrooms, kitchens, internal staircases, and bedrooms above adjoin a double-height living room. Depending on the apartment type, additional modules connect to this base unit: in types
b
and
c
a roof garden that is enclosed on three sides, in type
c
an additional room above the street below, and an entire unit, when type
a
and
b
are combined, essentially forming type
d
.
To foster social diversity, roughly the same amount of each of these housing types is found throughout the complex. Type
a
is intended for use as a studio, or for students or young couples. Type
b
was developed as a low-income option, while type
c
is spacious enough for larger families. The upper floor under the gabled roof is described as a “sleeping loft” and can be subdivided if desired. In type
d
, in which the second upper floor room is transformed into a connecting hallway, the architect was not simply motivated by creating more rooms, but by increasing the spatial possibilities for additional activities.
Drawings
Photos
Aerial view
Exterior view
Originally published in: Oliver Heckmann, Friederike Schneider with Eric Zapel (eds.), Floor Plan Manual Housing, fifth revised and expanded edition, Birkhäuser, 2018.